Changing Allegiance
by Endevorer
Summary: The world has essentially gone mad. Humans turning into dragons, dragons doing the opposite. When one's current form changes, does that mean one has to fight for the other side? When dragons live amongst men, does that make them Vikings? When the oldest son becomes a dragon, does he lose his inheiritance to his brother? Hiccup and Toothless don't know, but they intend to find out.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. **

**This story is a sequel to my previous work, Becoming the Enemy. Whether or not you read it, I hope you will enjoy this work. If you read the earlier story, this work will eventually answer dozens of the many mysteries I have left with you with last , Read and Review. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

If any of my ancestors were to see Berk now, they would have strapped themselvesto a ship's mast for fear they had gone mad. They would be utterly surprised to see the sight of Nightmares using their strength to lift heavy objects; of Gronckles taking advantage of their ability to hover to decorate roofs; or even of Nadders diving into the water to fish into nets. It would have been utter madness and insanity in their eyes; one simply does not allow their enemies to come live with them, it was foolish to trust creatures like them. Yet, now Berk did.

Now, there were dragons in the village, living in houses, sleeping in beds. This was the results of the events that happened two weeks prior. Who would have ever thought that _I, _of all people, would convince Dad to actually reconsider the whole "Kill on Sight" rule that we both lived under for practically our whole lives.

Perhaps the one thing that would have surprised them even more… was me. I think they would have laughed at the idea of _me _being one of their descendents; given who my parents were, it does seem somewhat surprising that I didn't, oh, I don't know, inherit the ability to smash a boulder with my bare forehead. Oh well, at least I can still lift a hammer enough to slowly beat metal into a desired shape, practically one of the few things I had a real knack for… aside from flying, but I can't do that until a certain Night Fury stopped by.

I picked up a small chunk of silver with a pair of tongs and placed it into the furnace, still burning despite being use plenty of times today. Silver was an interesting metal. It was slightly heavier than iron, but it was much more easily reshaped, partly because of its lower melting temperature. Once it was hot enough, I could easily break it off into chunks and shape those chunks in any manner of my choosing. All I really had to do was just sit in Gobber's forge while I waited for the metal to heat up. Such a shame he wasn't here, but I guess as his apprentice, I was trusted to work safely.

While I waited, the sound of heavy footsteps approach me. Before I could turn and look, I felt a large, meaty hand fall upon my shoulder. "What is this?" said the man, curiously. I twisted my head around, learning who he was. Stoick the Vast was my father and Chief of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. People tell me that when he was a baby, he popped a dragon's head clean off his shoulders. Do I believe it? Yes, I do. "Does this have to do with all that silver you wanted me to get for you yesterday?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, it's a part of our project you wanted me to do," I replied. One of the consequences of the past few week's events was that I was tasked with dealing with Berk's whole 'dragon' situation. It was stressful and made little progress so far, but at least I was not sitting around being 'Useless'. I took his attention to one of the nearby tables. A dozen silver arrowheads were laid out on top, ready to receive wooden shafts to complete them. I had prepared them earlier today, but I decided that since I had plenty of spare time to work with, I figured it would have been a good idea to make more of them.

"So… arrows?" my father asked, skeptical.

"Arrows," I replied.

"I don't see how this helps us," he stated. "Sure, silver looks nice, but it's not very practical for any edges. The metal is too soft and tarnishes too easily to make use of it."

"They're not for killing, Dad," I replied flatly. "They're for the dragons…"

"Oh, and here I thought they were on our side." He laughed. "You could just use blunts if you wanted to stun dragons; you wouldn't need to spend a small fortune for every time you wanted to refill your quiver."

Now, I just realized, he was messing with me by pretending not to really know. I felt so idiotic for having fallen victim to that ploy. I guess he must have been feeling good about something, since he apparently felt this was the right time to use his sense of humor. "Dad," I said in a dull tone. "Now's not the time… I've got work to do." I turned my attention back to the silver ingot in the furnace, it did not appear like it was time to cut it up into pieces. Maybe a minute more… I picked up a pair of tongs, getting ready to work the metal as soon as the time was right.

For some reason, it seemed that all my actions and words did was cause my father's face to grow a grin. He approached me. "It's good to see you working so hard on this," he commented. He muttered something unintelligible to himself before he approached me again. "I was… wrong, my son," he said.

"Uh, what?" I said, breaking my attention from the furnace once more. What was he talking about?

"A few weeks ago, our laws required us to kill dragons on sight. They were wild animals in our eyes, to be driven out or wiped out as was convenient for us. It was iron clad, part of our way of life. Yet these past few months have brought nothing but endless, impossible challenges to laws that had been held firm for generations…. most especially, you."

"Dad?" I questioned, looking him in the eyes, dazed and asking for questions. Why was he bringing this up now?

"Toothless," said my father, putting his meaty hands on my shoulders. "I am proud to have you as my son, don't forget it."

I dropped what I was holding, the metal clanged onto the ground with a heavy thump. I… never expected this. Not from him, especially not after the things I told you. "Uh…" I stuttered, I was just stunned, unable to think of any way to respond in a way that resembled an actual language. I stood there for what must have been an eternity before the sound of heavy wing beats and the shouts of my master overhead drew my attention.

"Stoick!" cried Gobber as he approach, riding a certain Night Fury. The blonde haired man had a variety of bags strapped to his arm, each bursting with a variety of assorted things, most notably a huge bundle of leather rolled up on the dragon's back, possibly made from the hides of several yaks. The dragon, likewise, was equipped with a variety of backs filled to the brim with a variety of assorted things. Last I checked, I knew the two of them went around town shopping, but I didn't know what that was for. "Fancy seeing you here. Didn't think you'd have the spare time after trying to solve that whole marriage issue."

I could see my father smirk a little as they approached. "Ah, so that's where they went. They must have went shopping." he muttered to me before turning to our new arrivals. "Oh, yeah, well, Hildegard's fiancé did not die in that big fight last week and there's the whole dispute about his… eligibility because of well, you know. But I think they'll wait for a few more months till my boys can fix that mess for them, so I got out of that much earlier than I thought I would. And then it turned out I had some time before I some time to spend before I dealt with the new fishing boats…"

I swallowed my throat. Great, now I had an entire marriage resting upon my shoulders. As if I needed more things to worry other than a good chunk of Berk counting on me.

The dragon landed in front of the store, allowing Gobber to disembark. The dragon turned his attention to me, aware of my own worry. Just how was I supposed to help someone's marriage? "Oh, don't worry about," said the Night Fury. "I ended up disfiguring him, her."

"Er, what?" I said. Without any context that could mean anything.

"Well, I ended up hitting her face and then suddenly people wanted to marry her even though most everyone thought she was a guy." I blinked. Did he really disfigure someone so badly, that he turned a man into a woman? Because that's really what it sounded like… I don't even want to know how that was possible. "Anyways, I'm sure if we try and fail hard enough we could end up turning her into a dragon and solving that whole marriage issue for her again…"

My father approached the black dragon, his heavy hand reaching upwards and gently rubbing the dragon's forehead. There was a smile on his face, both filled with equal parts regret and joy. "I can still only imagine what you have to tell me, boy," he sighed. "Oh, Hiccup, how did things ever turn out like this?"

"Oh, nothing really all that bizarre, Dad," replied the dragon, even though it was completely unintelligible for most people. Unlike me, Gobber and my father did not understand the language dragons spoke; I did, because I used to be a dragon. "I just ended up fooling around in some sorcery, just because I thought it would be nice to be able to lift a sword properly, and then suddenly everyone in the whole archipelago starts having a way to change shape. Really, I'm kind of surprised it took us this long to notice some of it." Hiccup was my older brother, both of us shared both parents with our only difference being that I was born and raised as a dragon because Mother was pregnant with me when she ended up getting cursed. To make a long story short, Hiccup broke the spell that made me a dragon, turned himself into a Night Fury, and I ended up learning about our relation only after Mother kidnapped my brother. On thinking about it, that situation still sounds convoluted…

Some things though, bypassed language entirely. Father simply smiled, as if those words came perfectly crystal clear on his end. "Well, I think I'll leave you all to your duties; those new houses need approval from someone." And then, just like that, he was gone, giving us barely enough time to say our goodbyes.

"Right, and I think I'll get to work on this project you want, since, well, you don't have hands." said Gobber as he patted the large bundle of leather over his shoulders. Despite his home being primarily for metal working, there were a couple of places where other crafts could be worked on. The owner and proprietor of the store walked off to one of the work benches and picked out a variety of assorted tools, some of which seem… experimental.

"What is that about?" I said to the Night Fury.

"You'll see, bud," said the Night Fury.

I sighed. I had no idea what my brother possibly could possibly want with it, but he must have had an idea, he never seemed to run out of them. It must have been a human thing or something, I mean, what possibly use could anyone have for all of that leather."Someday, you'll tell me," I promised him. I picked up my pair of tongs and lifted the silvery metal out of the forge and onto a nearby anvil. It wasn't it there too long, so it wasn't liquefied or anything.

"Oh, you can be sure of that," my brother said. "I think you'd enjoy it…"

"Well, are you going to give me a hand or what?"

"I don't have any hands anymore," said the dragon.

"Right, because you are a useless reptile," I replied, appropriating an insult he gave me back when we first met. It was practically my default since I had a hard time with coming up with new ones.

"Takes one to know one," he responded as he began stacking and organizing the assorted bags of supplies in a neat pile on a table. Hopefully they had some of the things we needed."Besides, it's much better than being an eighty pound toothpick." It was strange how we liked to banter back and forth against each other. Neither of us really meant it… most of the time, probably because whenever we thought of something, it usually applied to use both. Still, we had fun. Suddenly, I began to understand why all of the other younglings often did some play fighting when I was growing up, it was just… fun.

"And I'm sure you'd make a good main course for some bear or something." I replied, pinching my nose to feign. "You've eaten so much fish that you practically smell like one." Placing the metal onto an anvil, I grabbed a chisel from a nearby rack and started breaking the metal bar piece by piece. After each piece weighted little more than an ounce or two, I started shaping the metal, grinding and hammering the silvery chunks until their tips narrowed. This part… took forever, but at least I had something to distract me while doing this incredibly monotonous task. How _anyone_ did this without going mad was beyond me.

"And neatly, too," replied my brother. "You still have the worst table manners I have ever seen. You pretty much gobble everything in front of you." He actually used up a few words that didn't really exist in the dragon language, after all, we did not have a concept of 'table manners' on the count of lacking tables…We did have an overabundance of manners, though. One of the things that a few of us have been working on is trying to expand the collection of words in the dragon language, using partially made up combinations of phrases and sounds, mostly to avoid the issue of not having the right words to describe something. Really, fascinating the kind of work Fishlegs and Meatlug did there…

"I'd argue since most Vikings do that anyways, I'm the one who's actually eating properly. You're the one with bad table manners, by deciding to take fifteen minutes chewing a peas," I said with a smug grin on my face. On the rare occasion we did have something unique to us, we blew it up to such proportions, that it even if was true, it was _not that true_. Still, he couldn't possibly top that. I had him.

Hiccup gave the closest imitation of a smirk he could manage with his jaws. "Oh, you think you're really clever, don't you, bud?" Now, I was getting worried, what could he possibly have up his nonexistent sleeves? "Well, I guess you won this round," he said.

I smirked in response. The score was four to five, maybe I can win the next one to tie him up tomorrow. "Well, I guess your manners, aren't that bad," I said, giving a sort of humility to my victory. Nothing was worse than a sore winner, right?

"Maybe," he replied as he continued organizing assorted bags. "Though, you might want to double check your arrows…"

Confused, I turned my gaze down towards the little hunks of metal that I had finely crafted. They were pretty much done and all I needed to do was inscribe them properly to have them ready for today's test. I narrowed my gaze, still wondering what he was talking about. They were perfectly fine, as far as I could tell… except they were not. I slapped myself across the face when I had realized I had the arrow heads pointed in the opposite direction; the little sockets where the shafts had to be driven through to complete the arrow were on the tip of the arrowheads. All of that work, wasted, but that was not the worst of it.

I quietly scowled at my older brother, who was clearly ignoring me as he continued with his work, or at least pretending to. He let me have that one, just when he knew he had an easy, possible game ending reply and he choose not the use it… somehow, I think that upset me more than having to redo those arrowheads. The score was really three to six, just when I thought I was getting the hang of it. I so owe him for that one…

Sighing, I heated the arrowheads up again enough to correct my mistake and finish inscribing a symbols on their heads. Next, I took some premade wooden shafts from a nearby collection and slotted them in, completing each arrow without wasting another few minutes. All told, there were a dozen. "Alright, I'm done with them," I said to my brother.

This time, he responded, now that I was not as upset about my loss, I guess he thought it was safe to interact with me again… "Great, so, we're ready for the new test, then?" Hiccup asked. "Maybe it'll work this time…"

"I hope, I mean, because if it does not… I just don't know what to do with myself."

"Don't worry, about it, bud. We still have some options open to us," said my brother.

I nodded. I took a small quiver and about six of the arrows with me. I did not really need to shoot them or anything and… I don't think anyone, Viking or Dragon, liked being shot at; it was simply bad for your health. "So, where to?" I asked my brother.

"Same place as last time," he told me.

I nodded as I climbed onto my larger brother's neck. Besides, I did not have any wings, so I guess it's not as bad. "Well, let's get going," I said and Hiccup took off.

Hiccup was good at flying, no thanks to me. Like Mother and myself, Hiccup was fast and able to quickly change direction and orientation in the air in a moment's notice, so I was not afraid of falling or anything. These days, I've gotten used to the idea that I had gotten used to flying on my older brother. Before, I would have complained about how I was too old to really fly on anyone else's back; no one except the youngest of hatchlings clung to their elder's backs, like how human infants needed to be carried before they could walk on their own. It was just embarrassing otherwise, like admitting I was so helpless that I needed the help. But, eventually, I realized that if I wanted to get to certain places, and quickly, flying was the fastest means of transport available to me. Besides, it's probably not as embarrassing if I lacked the power to fly myself…

We flew over a number of houses, a few dragons were beneath us, all of them seamlessly moving through the crowd. The unfortunate truth was that all but a few of them were really dragons, practically all of them were human before. Berk suffered an affliction of some sort, a curse cast by Alvin the Treacherous that resulted in dozens of warriors completely transforming into dragons. As a result, we have been working for the past two weeks trying to break that spell... I think we were just as glad our father still only had a few rough patches of scale instead of having to worry about growing claws, for the time being at least.

And that was not the only dragon related transformation problem we had; my brother and a few of my friends drank a potion that granted them tremendous strength and durability, but slowly converted them into dragons everytime they so much as took a scratch… I guess it was offset by the fact that I had some friends, who unlike me, were really dragons, but by the use of amulets disguised themselves in human form. And they were in complete control of that, so they weren't a problem…

Eventually, we arrived at our destination, a small house near the docks. The windows were in shattered outward and door had several gaping holes, including where the door knob was supposed to be. We both knew this was one of the worst off of Alvin's victims and quite frankly, it was a little dangerous to be around him. Still, I don't think either of us were all that concerned.

I got off my brother once we landed and made our final approach.

"Should we knock?" I asked. After all, it was the right and polite thing to do.

"Uh, go ahead, I think I might break the door by accident…" said my brother, a rare statement coming from him.

I nodded and gentle tapped the door, unsure of how to really approach it.

The door's broke off of its hinges and nearly fell on to me before I nearly dodged it in time. Unfortunatelky, I was not the cause of the door breaking. The house rattled and glass broke. Every fiber of my being shook as a powerful and invisible force moved through my very bones. "COME IN!" we heard. After a moment, with the initiation given, I struggled to approach. Unfortunately, the house's sole resident spoke again, bringing me to my knees. "OH, SORRY!"

After the wind was knocked out of me, just like that. Hiccup, probably because he was bigger or hardier pushed me to my feet as I struggled to get myself up. "You can try to destroy us _after_ we're done, not before.

"SOR-" The voice started, but cut himself off before I went onto my knees again.

"Thank you, for not killing us," said my brother. I silently nodded in agreement.

I shook my head, mostly to get the disorientation out of my system. "Let's get this overwith," I muttered as I walked inside, Hiccup pushing me from behind in case I fell again.

The inside of the house looked even worse than the outside, with assorted furniture and knickknacks scattered on the floor in a disorganized heap. Among the largest of these heaps was a creature that resembled something like a giant purplish manta ray with short, stringy legs. It was huge, much larger than my brother yet far more sturdy looking.

Roland was a dockworker. According to the testimony of people that knew him, he had been working in the harbor since he was twelve winters of age. He was considered an average warrior, capable of using a hammer with lethal efficiency and had a pretty solid defense. He was also somewhat good at sailing and once placed high in an annual fishing tournament. He lived alone, though was somewhat active in the community despite not taking a mate. All in all, a mostly typical Viking.

What was not typical was the fact he was now a Thunderdrum; the fact that I considered being any other kind of dragon being 'typical' says volumes about me. He was the only one on Berk as far as I knew and my familiarity with Tidal dragons was sketchy at best. Now, even though I grew up as a dragon, I never really spent much time around a Thunderdrum before. Out of all of the dragons we could have picked to run our tests on, we picked the only one that did not involve any fire whatsoever, mostly because Roland was one of the worst off, since he had… issues. Roland did not have full control of his ability to project his voice… as a result, he often ended up causing some damage every time he so much as spoke something, anything. He lived alone, so he had no one to take care of him. It was not a big issue since his new form allowed him to fish quite effectively, but it did cause panic on more than one occasion when some fishermen thought he was a wild dragon approaching the village and his house was falling apart because few people wanted to get near him.

Other than that, he was good. He complied with our request, and kept silent over just what our current idea of 'treatment' consisted of. He, like a lot of other people took it for granted when I was able to understand him on the rare instances he was able to speak without sending me to the floor. Most of the adults, except for Father and Gobber, did not know about my… history or of my origins. While it was true I was the Chief's son, most people did not have to know I was a dragon. I was more less able to convince everyone that I just had special powers… which was more or less true to begin with.

"Alright, are you ready, Roland?" I asked.

The Thunderdrum nodded, thankfully keeping silent. Hiccup picked up the door with his front paws and began reattaching it.

I took one of the arrows in my quiver and strike the Thunderdrum's chests. Now, despite the fact that that the arrows was made of purely mundane materials, when Hiccup and I prepared them in a special way and inscribed with a specific rune, unintelligible to the two of us, the arrows gained the power to... interact with other spells or enchantments, often breaking whatever hold a spell had over someone. There was a certain irony to me making them, mostly because they were the reason I found out I was not a dragon.

The Thunderdrum became surrounded by a strange green blaze that consumed and his body. His arms and legs gained a sort of thickness to them, becoming longer and bulkier by the moment. Purple scale softened and peeled away, revealing pinkish skin that was equally as hard and rugged. Hair grew, most of it concentrated on his chin and on the top of his head. In a moment, the flames dissipated, leaving a slightly stunned, but seemingly wholly human man.

Roland began using his hands to feel around his face, even stroking his unkempt beard as if he was noticing it for the first time. Hiccup immediately draped a robe over the new man, concealing parts that should not be seen. "Is it really over!?" he said with glee, finally not shattering my bones with his voice. "Am I really going to stay like this?"

"We don't know," I said.

"Maybe this time, but if not… we can always try again," supplied Hiccup. "We've got more than one arrow this time.

"Uh, right," said Roland before hunching over. "I don't think I feel so good…"

This was the unfortunate part, this not the first test we've tested on Roland. Ever since my brother and I got were assigned our task, we've tried trying to break the enchantment that kept all of Alvin's victims dragons. And for the most part, we've managed to return people to human form, but our current problem made things far more complicated.

Roland fell to the ground, a dizzy look in his face. Skin started to peel off in sheets, each being replaced by the same pearlescent scales that had been removed not a few minutes prior. Arms and legs began to lose their definitions, seemingly atrophying before my very eyes. The former man's face twisted into very clear discomfort, the sensation of change being clearly painful in comparison to what he experienced only a few minutes ago.

While my brother and I knew the arrows could restore a man's true form by disrupting the transformative curse, neither of us expected the curse to resist our attempts to break it. Whenever we tried to undo it, the effect reasserts itself within the hour. Now, Roland paid the price for our attempt and suffered for it. The pain must have been crippling.

Roland groan in pain, looking at my brother and I to give him the right answers… the sad truth was, I did not knew what to do, I had no answers. I looked my brother, wondering if there's something going through his head. He always had some half-mad scheme or idea to try… "Do you want us to try again?" he asked the downed man, a grim tone in his voice. Roland nodded.

Suddenly, I understood why he wanted me to bring a dozen arrows.

* * *

Alone in skies above my home villages, I begin to understand something I failed to realize. My Dad liked to talk about having traveled every corner of Berk, about how he climbed its tallest peaks and how he crawled into the darkest depths. Now, I can finally understand.

Berk… has changed. Yes, some things have remained the same, like the fact we're twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. That hasn't changed. What has, is the fact that a number of us have either turned into dragons or is in the process of eventually becoming one.

And I was one of the first.

When I picked up the black, Night Fury scaled book from Trader Johann all those months ago, I did not know what I was doing. I wanted to make myself stronger, to make myself into… someone I was not. I succeeded; I got my wish. I became stronger, completely different. And for a scrawny, clumsy, worthless boy like I was, it doesn't much different than becoming a dragon that every man, woman, and child considered one of the most dangerous creatures in all of Midgard… and the greatest trophy.

All things considered, I can honestly say it's not the worst thing that's ever happened to me… which must really say something about me. I might have find out that every time I've tried to take down a Night Fury, to prove that I can be… something, I find out that I've been trying to kill my long lost mother who's been turned in a dragon, but at the same time, I learned I had a brother, someone who legitimately looked up to me. I might have gotten kidnapped by some merchant who turned out to be a spy for the dragons, but at the same time, I met new friends. Even though I was for all intents and purposes, a creature many regarded as a beast to be slain, Dad was still willing to accept me, to trust me; he was even willing to accept Toothless and my new friends, despite their… background.

I feel like I have gotten off easy compared to others. I was a young boy, a dependant. I might have been good at the forge, but I was still just an apprentice. I neither had a house of my own or anyone counting on me to bring home supper. Others were adults, grown men who were married and often had children of their own. While Vikings like to be self sufficient by learning plenty of different skill sets, most also dedicated their lives to studying and employing specific sets of trades.

When Alvin came to Berk, brandishing a spear that slowly painfully turned dozen men into scaled, winged creatures, he also destroyed people's lives in a painful and slow fashion. While, they were by no means the majority or the most important people on Berk or the only casualties in Alvin's attack, they still suffered a fate that was tragic as it was embarrassing. Sure, learning to fly and breathe might come easy to some of them, but with the loss of fingers and hands comes to loss of independance. Yes, I was able to learn how to use my breath to warm up a furnace, but that didn't mean I could lift a hammer and carefully shape metal, that's far more important to a professional blacksmith. The past few weeks, I've met a Scauldron bigger than the boats he used to make, a Gronckle used to be a shoe maker, and a Deadly Nadder for a tailor. None of them are not earning their livelihood.

People were so desperate, that many of them were counting on me to break their curse. Yes, I might have been in more or less the same boat as most of them were… but I had experience. I was the one who has been the dragon the longest and I've already been studying to undo the my transformation for a while now. As for Toothless, he showed up using a cloak that turned him back into a Night Fury, so people think he might be able to pull the same trick in reverse…. People really believe we had the answers, so much that they were willing to trust us.

Now, I just… wanted to be worthy of that trust; I did not want to fail them.

Which is why I flew down into the Great Hall. It was dinner time and I had asked my friends to come meet with me to discuss how things were coming along. Each of us was tasked with helping the afflicted in some manner, so I made it a point for us to meet every dinner.

Some of my friends were really dragons in disguise, former peers of Toothless back when he was a Night Fury, but after the events of the past few weeks, they've more or less joined Berk. Most people think they were other people who were cured by Alvin, but given a few amulets to maintain human form and it was through this excuse we've managed to help them teach the former Vikings… humans, since being a Viking was an occupational choice.

The novelty of being a Night Fury has mostly warn off, so no one really paid any attention as I made my through. Quickly, I navigated myself to the usual table, one of the central ones by a firepit. All of them were already there.

Astrid might have drank the same potion I did, but she was still mostly human, with the only traces of scale she had were on her throat. She was far more careful about avoiding damage, because anyone who drank from that potion while they gained an increase in their athletic and healing ability, that healing slowly transformed the imbiber into a dragon for every injury taken. Still she couldn't speak Norse anymore and instead communicated in the same, nearly guttural growls and cries as a Nadder did. She looked at me as I approached the table. "Where's Toothless?" she asked.

"He's not coming," I replied. "Things didn't go so well, with Roland." We've done everything from repeatedly using the arrows every time the curse tried to resurge itself, hammering multiple arrows in at the same time, and having him _eat_ the arrows to see if that did anything. We spent the rest of the day trying to cure the Thunderdrum and nothing we tried stuck. At best, we've managed to stave the curse off for an hour before it all came back all at once… Still, at least Roland was fine… if a little weary from all the changing back and forth.

"Such a shame," said a red haired girl with white silk scarf. "Though, that means one there's more hens for everyone." Stormfly may have been a Nadder and to anyone who knew that secret, it showed. Her clothes may have been gifts from Astrid and a certain, but absent Bog Burglar, but Stormfly seemed to have grown quite fascinated with wearing of clothes and putting on makeup. Every time I see her, she's well dressed and puts on a clean appearance that I think dirt might be contractually obligated to avoid her.

"So, Toothless isn't coming?" repeated Fishlegs, prompting me to nod. "… It didn't work, did it?" I nodded again. I might have spoken the language of dragons, a language which as far as I know was only understandable to anyone who has either been a dragon before or partially a dragon. He was wholly human. Fishlegs just shook his head. "That curse has like a Plus Five Resistance. I thought it would work!"

"So did we," I added. "After we were done, he just decided to go to bed early…" And by early, I mean before the sun even began to set. I really hope my little brother is alright. I'm used to… failure, but he was still kind of new at it. It must have really stung him.

"Things have been some whatever hard for him, especially since One Eye's passing," Meatlug appeared as a somewhat large brunette girl sat that sat next to Fishlegs. They had a close relationship, as far as I can tell. Her name, even by Berk standards might have sounded odd, but she grown quite attached to it Interestingly enough, like Fish, Meatlug was a knowledge keeper, though she did so by memorizing songs because dragons lacked a written language.

I nodded. One Eye was the former Flight Commander and teacher of Toothless and my new friends. He died very recently and was honored the way all great warriors should have, regardless of what they were, but that hardly made up for the fact he was now gone. Toothless had mostly recovered from his loss.

"Heh, told you it wouldn't work," said Snotlout in a matter of fact tone. "You guys know a thing or two, but you aren't that good." Like, Astrid and I, my cousin was given the same potion we were. Ironically, it was meant for Toothless, but it was given to him to save his life. Unlike Astrid, Snotlout was far more reckless, often taking injuries every time he tried to pull a stunt. A result, he's gorn a pair of vicious horns and his jaw and nose fused together to form a Nightmare's snout. Now, I might be crazy, but unlike some people, I am not crazy enough to call him 'Snoutfaced Snotlout' for a reason. Especially since even though he spoke Norse, he could understand the dragon language.

"Uh, yeah, you're not all that good," said Hookfang. He was Nightmare and one of One Eye's many grandsons. In human form, I could describe him by the words: tall, dark, and handsome. Lots of girls were attracted to him for some reason, much to Snotlout's displeasure, not that he actively wanted the attention in the first place. Still, he was my cousin's wingman.

"And I suppose Snotlout is?" I replied.

"Darn, right I am," said the partial Nightmare. He dangled a rune inscribed stone from a string. As much as I wanted to deny it, Snotlout did have a point… I did not know enough about sorcery to think up any clever solutions or make some sort of fancy counter curse. The only reason, Toothless and I know how to brew up a potion that turns people into dragons or make arrows that remove magic is because I picked up a book written almost haphazardly in three languages, only one of which I knew. Snotlout, like us, also learned how to make something, a runestone that warded against fires. Yet, for some reason, we were the only ones who could make something from the book. I had Fishlegs and Astrid try their luck and all that happened was I had to pay for a new kettle… Now, I was definitely sure the world was going crazy. Snotlout having a point was practically as much as a sign of Ragnarok as much as the boat made of discarded nail clippings. "Hey, Ow!" He yelped as he grabbed his scaly cheek.

"Thanks, Astrid," I said as the shield maiden in train recoiled her fist. For a while, Astrid had pretty much sworn off punching Snotlout and myself, since each injury brought us one step closer to being dragons. She removed herself from that ban recently when I had pretty much become as dragon I was going to get. I guess she decided the same should apply to Snotlout.

"Oh, it was my pleasure," she said in a calm, vindictive tone. "I've been waiting to do that for a _long time. You _know, I think maybe you need a little more…_"_ she raised her other hand and readied for another punch.

"Hey, watch the face," yelped Snotlout as he tried to guard himself against the coming assault.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm _sure, _you'll be quite handsome with ladies when I'm through with you," said Astrid. "After all, we've got like _eight _Nightmares. What's another one?" Snotlout wisely switched seats with Hookfang, placing him out of Astrid's reach across the table. Astrid, with a gleeful smirk lowered her fists. Oh, well, I guess it's not the end of the world, some things never really change at all…

This time, it was Ruffnut's turn to speak. "Uh… are we eating or what? It is like, dinner time and all.."

"Yeah," added Tuffnut. "We can barely understand half the conversation already, but nothing we heard says anything about food."

"No, they have not-"

"-Said anything about food,"

Next to the twins was a dragon Zippleback. Like Toothless, Meaglug, Stormfly, and Hookfang, the Zippleback was another of One Eye's Squires. However, there were three amulets to go around and whenever Barf and Belch wanted to become human for while, they needed both two to do it safely. More often than not, they were fine being a dragon for most of the time, mostly since it didn't seem to faze the twins at all.

"Yeah, just what I thought," said Tuffnut, as if he understood the dragon perfectly. "I want my dinner."

"You guys need to speak proper Norse. Even a dragon knows it better than you," commented Ruffnut, ignoring the fact that quite a few of us do not have human vocal cords anymore.

"We can give Hiccup a pen so he can write," suggested Fishlegs.

"Ugh, you want us to _read_?" asked Ruffnut.

"Why not murder us first? That's merciful in comparison," said Tuffnut.

"Now I think reading might be a tad… empty, but I don't think it's… lethal," commented Meatlug.

"Uh, they're right," I said. That earned me a look from every one of my friends that could understand me. Yeah, they think I gone mad. Well, they're wrong; I was already plenty mad to begin with. "It is dinner time and we better eat before the food runs out. Someone, just get me a bucket or raw salmon…"

"And now, they-" started Barf.

"Bring up food," added Belch.

"Oh, good," Ruffnut stated.

"FinalIy! I was getting hungry," said Tuffnut. More and more, the twins continue to astound me. They understand Bard and Belch even when they're not supposed to… yet still get lost in a conversation with other dragons… I am just not going to question it, it's the twins. They defy logic, classification, and sanity; it is not a smart idea to wonder how they think.

Everyone just shook their heads and began digging into their portions. I got full of tuna and ate my meal slowly, picking each and every individual piece with my paw, then biting, chewing, and swallowing it. So what if I was pretty much the only Viking or dragon to obey table manners? I'm not going to change that just because I was a something different.

Half way through, Fishlegs pushed his food away, apparently done. I think I was on my fifth fish at this point. "Hey, Meatlug, can you translate for us?"

"Uh, sure," said the brunette.

"So, what are you going to do?" asked Fishlegs. "I mean, the arrows are definitely not going to work…"

I took another bite from my half eaten trout before I replied. The answer was plainly obvious to me; in fact, maybe I should have done it weeks ago, but circumstances forced me to put it off later and later. The fact of the matter was, I did not know enough about…anything, especially not about how spells worked. I had to do something, anything to clear up the confusion, to give me the knowledge I needed to help others. And there was one place nearby, just an island over, where I knew I could do precisely that. "I am going to the Library."

* * *

**So, we're finally beginning again. I'm going to try to write somewhat shorter chapters but come out with a more consistent/ quicker update schedule. This chapter is 70% of the length of previous chapters, for reference. Only two PoVs, but each PoV is slightly longer.**

**I understand that in the previous story I have established that lots of words don't exist in the dragon language, like 'books' and 'library'. Here, I am establishing that some words are beginning to be translated over to help in communication. I am going to avoid most of the specific nuisances, because that'd be crazy, but I will try to put an effort to it when it's appropriate for it.**

**Camicazi is not currently in this story, but I will say she'll show up later. It simply did not make sense for her to be in Berk currently.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. **

**This was hard to do due to housing renovations taking up more writing time than I thought, preventing me from making the leaps and bounds I had intended on. Now, I am back, though the renovations are still ongoing at this time, the majority of the disruptions are dealt with.**

**Also, a Special Thanks to CAN07 for providing the picture for this story and Becoming the Enemy.**

* * *

I was on a ship, on a voyage that I had been planning for ages. Long ago, I thought gave up adventuring, but now, I began to wonder why I bothered to stop in the first place. It was just too exciting, danger and plunder awaited me in the distance and I could not decide which I wanted more. With danger came challenges worthy of my skill and with plunder came the funds to do whatever I wished, even do _more _quests; both came packaged together with prestige and fame, not the main goal, but definitely a nice byproduct in my opinion. All I needed to do was pick my course.

"Captain," said one of my crew members. "It's been five days since we've seen land of any sort, are you sure we're going the right way?" The rest of the crew all muttered in hesitant agreement, less willing to be so upfront with me.

I shook my head in response. My crew did not consist weaklings or cowards, but only the foolish or insane would go off sailing without food or drink. We were somewhere over a third of a way done with our supplies and none of us found any settlements. While we did have some nets to collect fish and some pots to collect rainwater, the chance of that working depended on how much any of the gods wanted us to continue going forward. Coupled with the fact winter was just the corner and my crew had justifiable reasons to want to head back home.

I considered it for a moment. I was not a cruel nor sadistic Captain; I understood the needs of my crew. But at the same time, I wanted to get that prize I've been looking for. I pulled out a old, faded sheet of parchment from my pack, a map that promised great riches. I just knew we were close and if I turned back now, I would never stop hating myself for my weakness… but if I turned back now, maybe I could…

No, I was not going home empty handed, not when I had something to prove. "One more day," I said, "Then we'll turn back home." The crew all nodded in compliance. I was not being fully honest with them, but I needed them.

"Captain!" shouted one of the men.

"What it is it?" I asked.

"I see land!" he shouted.

Another took his spyglass and joined in, "I see it, too!"

Astonished, I took the spyglass from one of the men, spotting a small island in the distance. I consulted my map again. Yes, this was it. "Set sail men, we've found it." Looks like I did not need to lie all that much after all.

A few hours later, we made landfall and it was not even time for lunch yet. The gods must have been favoring me more than I thought… maybe I should be a little more pious when I got home, a sacrificial Yak or two as a thank you, at least, if this really was the right place. There was only one way to be sure. Aside from the tall, snow covered mountainous peak, the island itself was rather bland. There was little if any vegetation around, but that did not concern me.

I led my men up the mountain, following a zigzagging path of cliffs that provided an easy, if time consuming way up. We did not have to go too far before we found a dark cave, the entrance partially collapsed by heavy stones, but still big enough to easily get into.

I took a torch and went inside, my gut leading me to go forward. I slipped into the entrance, going blind before my eyes adjusted to the dim torchlight. Once they did, I dropped everything I was holding in stunned surprise. "We found it," I exclaimed, as I picked my torch up.

My men came inside one at a time, each of them dropping their weapons and torches when they saw what I did. Who could hardly blame them? What we just was almost too fantastic to believe.

I slowly approached the thing that gave us all such shock and disbelief. The cave was huge, probably the size of the Great Hall back home and every inch of it seemed to be covered in sparkling metal. Gold and silver coins littered the floor like it was snow, piles of jewels formed miniature hills, and statues made of brass and bronze were lined up as if they were actual people having a conversation. Among my Tribe, Hannish the Second had been called the wealthiest Chief in all of Berk's history. Now, I think I just surpassed him.

"You can keep half of whatever you can carry," I said to my still stunned men and that was all the motivation they needed to move again. Each of them lined whatever pockets or bags they had with anything they could grab before they ran off to the ship using a speed few think would be possible.

Before long, the ship was loaded with riches. So full in fact, that we had to remove several dozen bags to make room for the crew... and I didn't think that was a hundredth of all the loot in that cave… I was sure going to tell _him_ about it. He'd be so upset, but I think he'd forget it once we sent a few fleets over to take the rest of the treasure.

Really, this must have been the easiest haul anyone had ever gotten, so much that I was practically disappointed. Sure, all of this gold was going to be put to good use, but, couldn't there have been a little challenge? Then again, it seemed a little odd that someone was crazy enough to put all of their riches away like this. This was not even someone's grave, just a cave on some deserted island in the middle of nowhere. What sane person hid their assets away when they could use it for more productive things, like buying a good drink! I sighed, I suppose those ancient kings are an odd bunch, but now they they're not here to claim their wealth, I can profit off of some long dead ruler's insanity.

All I had to do now was sail home and laugh in _his _face. I would have set sail this very moment… if it were not for the tides. It turned out, there were jagged rocks around the area I landed us in. While the ship itself was not damaged, we were stuck until the tide was high enough for us to leave. Hopefully, we did not take in so much weight that the ship did not drop low enough to risk damaging the hull once high tide came.

So, we were forced to spend time, the Viking way. My men gathered around a campfire, each declaring the treasures they would keep for themselves and what they would do with them. One man, a bold warrior on his first voyage under my banner, declared how he would give a golden helmet to a friend of his. Another, nearby him stated how he would use a golden yak figurine to buy a whole herd. And then another man, one looking rather weary and tired, tried to brag about this fancy sword he received. The others laughed at him, when they pointed out that his sword was clearly missing its blade.

The third sailor tried to refute him, but all he said came out as a garbled gibberish. Clearly, lifting riches beyond his imagination was more exhausting than I thought it was. So, I sent him away, telling him to get some rest before the return trip home tomorrow. He complied, only because he was too lost to really say no.

After he was gone, my men returned to their merrymaking, exchanging stories and beverages until the dead of night. One by one, my men fell, not by sword or axe, but to cup, until, only I remained.

With silence being my only company, I decided to check up on my afflicted crew member. Everyone else was fine, but I needed to make sure he was fit for duty in the morning. Otherwise, I would have to leave him behind.

I climbed onto my ship, noting a loud snoring coming from the ship's hold. It must have been my crew member, I mean, who else could snore that loudly? It's not like, we Vikings were known for our good bedside manners. Oh well, I better check up on him.

Openning a hatch, I descended.

What, I found was not my crew member. Curled up on the floor was a sleeping dragon, a Nadder to be prescise. It's bluish-purple scales shimmered faintly in the lantern light, making me wonder how the creature got here in the first place. And where did my crewmember go?

I gritted my teeth. It didn't matter; I had to get rid of it, now.

I quitely drew my sword and approached the sleeping creature. All, I had to do was wake it and force it out of the hold or worst came to worst, slay it. Hopefully, it was more interested in saving its own life rather than fighting. Dragons were too smart to waste their lives if it could be avoided, right?

I slowly approached the creature, careful not to disturb it. Yet, despite my best efforts, the Nadder stirred and looked it at me in a dazed state. I pointed my sword by its snout, making by threat clear.

The Nadder immediately noticed it was being threatened and got up with a roar, "Cock-a-doodle-do!" crowed the dragon,

I… blinked… What just happened?

"Cock-a-doodle-do!" crowed the dragon again. Why was it crowing like a rooster?

I just… shook my head. This, did not seem right. My eyes fluttered open, back and forth. The world around me seemed to dissolve slowly.

Suddenly, I was aware of not looking straight into a Nadder. Instead, I found myself looking into the inquistive face of a rooster before it crowed again, "Cock-a-doodle-do!" It only took me a moment to realize the rooster had a pair of hands holding onto it.

And just like that, I was suddenly aware of who was responsible. "Toothless," I stated wearily. "why is there a rooster in the house?"

My brother's face came into view, dropping the flightless bird onto the floor. "Oh, that? I just told Dad we had to be up extra early today… so I figured, why not borrow a rooster from the Rumblefisks," he said with a confident smirk.

Immediately, I realized he was getting back at me for beating him in our little spat yesterday. "This does not count," I said groggily.

Toothless's grin grew a little more overt. "It sure feels like it does."

Yawning, I just dragged myself off my bed to a nearby window. Well, at least Toothless was not still feeling down from yesterday, so that was a plus. I just wish it did not have to involve me waking up when the sun was just only just peaking out off the horizon. One of the worst things about being a Night Fury was that my body _insisted_ in sleeping and waking in a pace that I could just never seem to get the hang of. It took me forever to get to sleep, yet in the morning, it takes a rooster blaring in my face to get me to so much as stir. "So, you remember where we're going?" I asked my younger brother.

"Off to the Meathead Islands to meet that Thuggory, that guy you keep writing to," said my Toothless.

"And?" I stated, my head dipping to the side before I righted it. Oh, Toothless, could you have at least woke me up at a time when I was not going to fall over?

"Hiccup…" my younger brother said, in a tone of mild annoyance.

"Tell me why Toothless," I replied, in as firm a tone a half asleep Night Fury could manage. If my little brother was going to wake me up this early, I was going to leverage it against him.

"…Because Dad wants us to represent the Tribe in front of the Meatheads and to announce myself as Heir," A small, but aware part of my mind was taking a little enjoyment in forcing him to answer these questions. The other parts of me caught on… Maybe, I should go back to sleep if I am acting this grouchy.

Shaking my head, I decided to cut my little bud some slack, "That's just a small part of the diplomacy. Dad wants to know if the Meatheads are willing to stand with us as allies against Alvin... or at least not to have Meatheads side up with the Outcasts." That later possibility was not out of the question; The threat of levying a powerful curse on a whole Tribe might be incentive enough to do things that would see crazy in any other set of circumstances. It is plainly obvious Vikings wanted to die in glorious battle as proud men of valor, cursing someone into a dragon denied them of the glory they wanted… Maybe that's why I got over being turned into a dragon so quickly; I didn't exactly have much glory to begin with.

A small part of me realized that that thought was strangely consistent and logical for a half asleep dragon. Maybe I was beginning to wake up… I yawned… or not.

"So… it's like the story about how the King treated with the Feather-Kin when they came for a visit?" asked Toothless.

I just grunted in response, "Sure, let's go with that." I did not know what historical Toothless was talking about, per say. Fishlegs might, but I was too tired to really question him about it. I suppose I should just brief further on the sail there.

I wandered back to my bed, intent on fixing it since I was going to be gone for a few days. Now…where were the sheets? I needed to fold them. Since, this was my first intertribal debut ever since I started… being a dragon, so I figure I might as well make sure everything was in order, even the things that really should not be all that important. What can I say?

"Uh, Hiccup," said my brother.

"Yeah, bud?" I questioned him offhandedly. Why couldn't I find my bed sheets?

My brother was hesitant for a moment, unsure of how to answer. "Uh…" he stammered.

"Spit it out..." I began to get agitated.

"You don't have sheets anymore," said my brother, sheepishly.

I blinked for a moment before trying to shake the sleep off my eyes. I suddenly remembered that being several times the weight of my Dad meant that most wooden beds were not strong enough to support my incredible body weight. While I was fine sleeping on the floor for the first few days, Dad thought it would have been smart to get something more… appropriate for the firstborn son of a Chief. So, at my brother's suggestion, I had a nice slab of rock moved in to serve as a bed… And well, Toothless recommended that I should just heat up new bed with a small blast of heat instead of relying on a large sheet of wool, so I did that instead of buying myself a new set of bed sheets since, it was just as good… Man, I was _really_ tired."That does not count…" I stated groggily.

"Are you sure? I think I am almost tied up with you again," said Toothless.

"You know," said another voice said from behind us. Both my brother and I turned to see our father descending the nearby flight of stairs. He yawned, barely awake. He did not have much clothes on him and his belly revealed several patches of reddish orange scale that had formed. Like many others, our father was cursed by Alvin, unlike any one else, Dad still stayed Dad, even after weeks had rolled by, "Sometimes, I regret having kids. You boys sure know how to make a racket."

"Oh, so you wish you didn't have us?" said my brother.

The Chief just gave a brief chuckle as he arrived at the ground floor. "Or maybe if I had your mother around. Still don't know where she is," he muttered. Toothless cringed.

"Uh, yeah, well, Mother is… busy," he replied.

"Oh, I'm sure she is," said our father. While Dad was more or less accepting of us being… dragons, past or present, I had no idea what he'd do if he found out about Mom. Mom and Dad have been kinda trying to kill each other, except, kinda' not…what with her being a dragon Flight Commander and him being a Viking Chief. Still, it was not my secret to tell. Toothless grew up with Mom, it was his choice whether or not to reveal that little part; though our father clearly had his suspicions, since we practically said _everything else_.

Deciding that before I gave my brother any more points to hold against me, I needed to get myself from half asleep to three-quarters awake. Oh, and be ready to present myself to Meatheads; Toothless was probably right about me smelling like an entire seafood feast. That meant I needed to do something that four out of five Vikings found impossible to do, the kind of thing that sometimes involved entire quests to be accomplished before it became even considered, bathing.

Yawning, I picked a fresh bar of soap and a large brush from near the doorway. Lacking hands, I had to make due with the bar of soap slowly dissolving in my mouth, though it was not all that bad. Likely the animal fat or because my tastebuds are… different now. Toothless shouted at me, before I could leave, "Hey, where are you going? This is not the time to have a bath!"

Dad seemed to consider it for a moment, before an idea popped into his mind. "Hm, now that's an interesting idea," said Father as he turned towards my younger brother. "I should give you a bath, son."

"But… what about Hiccup?" said my brother in disbelief.

"Oh, he's a big boy and he can take care of himself," my father said, giving a slight wink to me. A slight chuckle almost left my throat; Dad considering me 'capable' was a joke on so many levels. "Besides, you hardly know how to bathe yourself."

"I do, too," protested my younger brother.

"Pouring water over yourself does not count as bathing," I said.

Toothless just looked at me, a slight frown on his face. "And here I was thinking the rooster might be over doing it." A small, draconic smirk grew on my face. Well, it appeared I got the last laugh this time.

"This totally counts!" I shouted as I ran off before he could protest. Still, I doubted Dad would actually go through with bathing Toothless, rather the whole thing was just an elaborate tease.

I went to the back of the house. A large circular, wooden tub was there and by large, I meant, I could actually fit in it. It was not particularly tall though, maybe going up to my waist if I stood inside of it, but that was enough for me. It was already filled up with water, mostly gathered from some recent rain and hailstorms. It was another one of Dad's many, _many _concessions to having a dragon in the family. Granted, I don't think he minded this all that much, considering our last tub barely even fit me… Never once did I think I would ever have to worry about being too large for something, now I was running into that problem so often.

Surprisingly though, the top of was covered in a small sheet of ice, thin enough that a needle could shatter it. There must have been a slight frost earlier last night… or maybe winter was coming earlier this year. I couldn't really tell if today had really been any cooler than it was a month ago, so it was possible, but we were nearing the season for it… and now that I think about it, people have been putting on heavier furs as of late.

I just shrugged. It did not matter right now. I threw my soap and brush inside and jumped into the tub Eerily, the weird part about it was that it felt surprisingly… warmer than I thought it would be. Now, I could still tell it was colder than the air outside the tub, but not _that _cold. I never thought that I would miss shivering all that much…

At the very least, I was very, very awake now. Cold water was still just as good at shocking the body to its senses.. Now, came the hard part; bathing became a chore these days.

Unlike most Vikings, or dragons for that matter, I was not really all that adverse to bathing. In fact, I used to like the feeling of getting clean after a hard day's work or in the morning to freshen up… Used to. One major downside of being a dragon was the lack of hands. While my new paws could be used for a variety of things hands could, holding a brush was _not_ one of them.

I bit my brush again and rubbed its head against my bar of soap until it bubbled. Then holding my now soap covered brush in tow, I began rubbing the sudsy head against my wing. Fortunately, I at least could use my mouth to hold on to my brush and my body was flexible enough to get to most places. With some effort, I could even clean off back of my wings. Now, I knew dragons had their own method of cleaning themselves, but I imagine that licking oneself over and over again might not be all that clean…

Slowly, I began my routine, rubbing the brush against the soap before it came into contact with me. I've been through at least three weeks of being a dragon, so I've mostly worked out how to clean myself after some trial and error…

As I went through my routine a part of me went back to wondering about that dream I had. Ever since I met the King and I had an argument with him with ended up with me having my memories slowly altered for a few days, I have been having the oddest dreams. After the first incident, which also involved Toothless and I sharing an old and frightful memory, I've come to the conclusion that I ended up with a copy of my Mom's memories, altered to fit in with me… well, growing up under her guidance. Overall, a confusing experience, but at least it shed light over what exactly happened all these years.

Though this memory was different. This time, if I was applying the thought that was one of Mom's memories, then, I assuming her role, becoming her… Oh, now that's creepy, becoming my own mother, not that having a part of my mother's memories was never not bizarre… Well, on top of that, this was a memory from… before she became a dragon, I think.

Really though, I would like it if the dream was a little more clear It was more like watching events unfold before my eyes. Small mercies, I guess. And my memory of what exactly happened there is a little fuzzy. Things happened, but only in the vaguest of senses, with all the details not really being brought up, except for a few random tidbits. In fact, towards the end, I think I am not really sure of what happened.

Shaking my head, I decided to think about it later; I still had to make last minute packing and preparations and I can't exactly do that while musing for an hour in a tub. I threw my brush away, once I was content with covering my body in soap. I dunked myself down into the water and washed the suds away.

Then, I leapt out of the tub, felling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Now, I wish I had a towel or something with me, people were going to see me… Hang on, I've been pretty much going bare for a few weeks and _now_ was the time I decided to get self conscious? My priorities are skewed.

Still, I wished I had a towerl, I did not exactly like to shake myself dry, but I guess I had no choice. I rapidly shook my body much like how a dog did. There were still a few droplets of water left stuck to me, but that'll be taken care of soon enough. Now that I was clean, I went back into the house.

Maybe after breakfast, I can check if Gobber had finished that project I gave him…

* * *

"Now, do you have your extra clothes packed?"

"Check," I replied, opening the pack by my side revealing a collection of red tunics and brown trousers.

"What about your weapons?"

"Check," I replied as I raised up a shortsword and my rudimentary crossbow.

"Your stuffed rat?"

"Dad," I said in an annoyed tone. Did he really have to go that far? As discretely as I could, I opened my backpack to see if it was still there. A long time ago, back when I was a small hatchling, I wanted a pet rat. I thought it would be nice to have something smaller than me for a change, since as a hatchling, the whole world towered over me. Mom never let me get one, but a small part of me still wanted to get one for novelty's sake. Then, one day, I found a toy rat in market place and well, I couldn't resist getting it, like some childish part of me decided that this was what I needed. Of course, both my brother and father had a good laugh about that the day I brought it home… and I did not want a repeat of that happening right now, especially not after yesterday's disastrous failure. "No, I don't have one," I lied. No one had to know to know it… even though I a small part of me knew it was already too late. Thanks, Dad. I really owe you one.

Behind me, I could hear a few laughs go off, all of them from a certain Nadder masquerading as a human. "Yes, you better have that ready," she suggested. She was joined by my varied friends, human and dragon alike, each wishing to see us off.

I glowered at no one in particular, putting up with the embarrassment and taking comfort in the fact it'd all be over soon. I can't believe I am actually thinking this, but I think I miss Mother's style of parenting. Unlike my Dad, she was a little more… assertive towards me and well, everyone was pretty much too scared of her to really comment, let alone laugh. Dad on the other hand, while respected, his way of doing things ended up feeling… awkward and a little embarrassing to me in public. Worst of all, I don't think he really notices any of it based on how kept a straight face. "Well, it's your first diplomatic mission without me…"

"My first diplomatic mission," I corrected. Also my first visit to a Library.

"Well, you got Hiccup, I um," father said, somewhat hesitantly, as if the confidence was drain out of him. "N-now, I-I'm counting on the two of you."

Hiccup and I both nodded solemnly, both of us ready. We turned our backs for one more moment, looking at those wanted to see us off. Astrid and Stormfly gave silent nods of approval, well, Astrid at least; Stormfly, not so much. Fishlegs and Meatlug handed me a list of various things to look for in the Library, from shapeshifter sagas and updated dragon notebooks to magical tomes and assorted poems. Snotlout and Hookfang gave a small disagreement on not being sent alongside us, Hookfang mostly just parroting my cousin; we tried not to listen. Lastly, Barf, Belch, and the twins tied to pull a last minute prank by stealing some underwear… from Hiccup; it didn't work.

Before us were three longships, each of them technically fishing barges. After saying our last few goodbyes, we boarded the one that was owned by a pair of Vikings named Bucket, a tall man who wore a metal… bucket on his head, and Mulch, a man missing some limbs like my mentor. They seemed alright and Dad was willing to trust them. "Don't worry, Chief. We'll make sure that they get too back in one piece," said the stout Viking.

"Ya," said the bucket headed man. "Nothin' will get them."

"I hope you're right, men," said my father.

"Eh you worry too much," said Gobber as he pushed a large crate onto the deck. What was in it, I did not know, but I can only assume it was Hiccup's side project. Now that I thought about it, Hiccup had been spending quite a bit of time this week with our blacksmithing master and yesterday Gobber pretty much spent the whole day working on something. "They're going to the islands next door, what's the worst that could happen?"

My brother groan audible. "He just had to say that…"

I squinted my eyes, not understanding what he meant. Despite automatically knowing Norse, there were just some things, some phrases that I just could not understand what he meant. "What?"

My brother just shook his head. "Well, hopefully it's nothing." I frowned, knowing there was more, but I didn't really contest him.

"Well, we better get you boys going before night falls," said Mulch. "Get ready to cast off," he

After a few _more_ last parting words, the ships pulled out of port and we were off to not so distant shores. It was just barely noon and the weather appeared to be great, if a little cold. Aside from flying, one of the things I'll miss the most about being a dragon is not having to worry about the weather too much. Human bodies get burned and they get cold too easily in my opinion. Still having the wind in my face was always a good feeling.

"So, remind me again why couldn't we use Camicazi's ship?" I asked my brother. At this point, people have gotten used to me being able to talk to my brother, so no one really paid us any attention. I figure that as the weird boy who ends up having a weird parentage, weird abilities are not all too farfetched.

"Because her mom does not like us very much," he replied. "And because Dad, despite Camicazi proving to be a trustworthy ally, does not want to lean too much on her?"

"Why?"

"Public image to the various Tribes," he stated. "You can't just use an ally's boat too much without looking weak in the eyes of the other Tribes."

"That sounds… dumb," I replied. "What if the need is dire? Like say, you are overrun and need immediate reinforcement?"

"Well, then you're supposed to supposed to die in glorious combat and let your village get raided, your livestock butchered, and your family enslaved. Because looking weak in front of your neighbors means you'd just die a pointless and ignoble death… Try to at least die _properly._" said Hiccup, in tone absolutely dripping with sarcasm; he didn't approve of it any more than I did and that was plainly obvious. "Because that's obviously the right thing to do."

I nodded, finally getting the point. Really? All that for the sake of pride? Just how shallow of a reason did people need to just… throw away their lives like that? But then again, dragons are not all that much better. I mean, Flight Commanders, the ruling warlords second only to the King, had similar attitudes for requesting another's aid. From what I remember, I heard that the King more often than not had to force them to work together during his long life. And that's not even factoring the independent enclaves outside of the King's rule… that is a nightmare that only a bard can properly explain. There's turf wars and disputes every single week from what I hear.

"So, this Thuggory, who exactly is he? I mean, I know that he's the Heir to the Meatheads and all because, I had to write the letters for you, but… I don't know anything about him."

"Well, I don't know much either. I know he's a year or two older than me," said my brother. "And I owe him some favors because he's helped me out a couple times before, but so far, that's all he's really done to me. I imagine he can't be all that a bad guy." My brother's words were at least… somewhat reassuring. We were invited as guests by this 'Thuggory', which meant we put our safety into his hands.

Sighing, I asked another question, "So what about his people, the Meatheads?"

"Well, they're not much different from us, Hooligans," Hiccup stated. "We live so close to each other that every now and again, that someone in our two Tribes end up marrying and moving to one place or the other. Though, we don't really communicate with each other all that much…"

"How so?"

"Well, even though we're only a few hours away from each other by sail, we rarely have ships moving between the two islands more frequently than a week. At least, that's how it is with the current setup of Chiefs. Dad and Mogadon had a very intense rivalry when they were young and that influenced how they treat the other Tribes."

For a moment, I thought about that. The two Tribes we so close physically, yet so far apart emotionally… Maybe that could change when Thuggory succeeds his father?

I just shook my head. More and more, I am beginning to understand a little bit of the world of humans. Really, it seemed like the best way to think about it was how the so called free enclaves were ruled.

"Any other Tribes I should worry about?"

"Well, you know about the Bog Burglars."

I nodded. That was Camicazi's Tribe and she was their Heir. "Are they really all female? I mean, how do they, well, have kids?"

"Not exactly," explained Hiccup. "They have men, but they don't ever formally join the Tribe as warriors, which the Bogs like to exaggerate as meaning, 'All-Female'… "

I blinked… Not allowing men to join the warrior faction seemed odd. Amongst dragons, male and female alike were allowed to join the Knighthood or serve as conscripts for the Flights, with the only real factor limiting that being one's station or capabilities. But then again… dragon females did not have to worry about being stuck at home for months at a time. "Why do they do that?"

"I think it's because most of other Tribes used to do much the same to girls," Hicccup stated. "And even then, only the best or the well connected get to go through formal training…"

So much for me thinking humans were a little ahead in some respects. As it turns out, there's a few things I think humans get wrong. I just shrugged, maybe I should move on, "Who else?"

"There's Hysterics, but they haven't been seen in the Barbaric Archipelago in decades, not since they sailed West."

I nodded. "Dad brought them up a while back, who were they?"

"A tribe of mad men and lunatics from what I heard. Most everyone in the Archepeligo didn't like them. They believed in things like the Earth being round…"

"Which I do," I reminded him.

"…Among other crazy things. They also had a knack for dreaming up strange devices. They once claimed they had plans for machines that could fly or a ship powered by clouds."

I grunted in response. "That's preposterous." I can understand thinking the Earth was round and all, after all, we dragons did that for generations, but making a device that could fly or a ship powered by clouds and not the wind? Now, that's just silly. No wonder people thought they were mad. "If Vikings were meant to fly, they'd have been given wings," I snapped.

"Well, it's a good thing I have these then," said my brother as he promptly rubbed his snout against the insides of his wings.

"But you're a dragon…" I near automatically replied, but on second thought, I realized how much crazy that sort of debate would go. If Hiccup were not meant to fly, well, he wouldn't be a dragon… but then he wasn't a Viking. But technically, he was under the law, but then, most people didn't really consider… Shaking my head, I decided to focus on the more important matter of learning. "What other Tribes do we have to worry about?"

"There's the Lava Louts. They were enemies of the Hooligans a long time ago, but we haven't really been in contact for at least a decade, so who knows?" shrugged Hiccup. "They live in a volcano and I know Dad likes to brag about stealing a 'Fire Stone' from them a while back… And I think they made armor from dragon scales…" A part of me cringed when he said that. As I doubt dragons would have made an agreement with humans, at least not without some means of overcoming the language barrier, there is only one way they could have gotten those scales.

"Okay," I said, afraid of wanting to know more about them. "Who's next?"

"Well, you know the Outcasts, right?" asked my brother.

I frowned. "Yes," I stated in a bitter tone. "Everyone hates them because of their piracy on the other Tribes and because they are made up entirely of Outlaws, brigands, and all manner of exiles. And now they have dragons on their side because their leader has a magic spear that turns people into dragons. Your point?" Having spent a month with them, I would like to think I was an expert.

"There's one more Tribe I know about and well, people think they're worse," Hiccup stated in a solemn tone. That statement just drained the confidence right out of me. It was… hard to imagine any Tribe actually being worse than the collection of misfits that were the Outcasts. My brother continued, "They go by the Murderous Tribe… "

"What do they do?" I asked, hestiantly. Even though with a name like that, I can pretty much guess and be mostly right.

"Well, they kill people," stated Hiccup, confirming my suspicions. "More specifically, they brutally kill people and sacrifice them…"

"To Odin?" I squinted my eyes. "Like Dad did with those yaks?" I knew a little about sacrificing, having been told the most basic stories and little bits of information about the Aesir and the rules men lived by concerning them. For instance, I understood that launching an arrow over an enemy army in a specific manner meant that you were going to offer those slain in battle as a sacrifice, even though you were not burning them on an altar.

"No, they don't worship Odin… at least, not like how Dad and I do it," explained my brother. "They apparently worship dragons…and to do that, they offered men for the dragons to eat upon a tall peak."

Suddenly, I felt my gut fell out of my stomach, aware of something potentially disturbing. "But isn't it the other way around?" I said, hesitantly. "Dragons serving the men?"

Hiccup gave me a questioning look, probably not following. "Toothless, what are you talking about?"

I cringed, uncomfortable on how to explain this, but I had to. "I think I've heard of them before…this Murderous Tribe." My brother looked at me skeptically. "Honest," I said in as much a serious tone as I can muster. "Only… things are backward from what I heard…"

"Uh… how?"

"Every now and again, I've heard talk about a rogue enclave that apparently became subservient to the Herd… and as a show of fealty to their new lords, they would offer the flesh of … other Kin for them to eat." Hiccup appeared to turn green and I shared the same feeling of disgust. If there was any mention of humans being offered to dragons, it might have gotten glossed over as not important to mention…

"You know, I think I could have gone my whole life without ever knowing that," he said. "It was bad enough knowing there were dragons that ate people. Now I'm not sure what's worse."

"They might not be connected. They might live on opposite ends of the world for all we know." I suggested, though that didn't do much to relieve our disgust of them. I actually could not decide which was worse, that there were two groups who fed the opposite race to their apparent masters, or that there was one large one.

"Yeah, let's hope we never have to meet them," stated my brother.

"Ever," I added.

The rest of trip consisted of me asking Hiccup about some of the minor Tribes, such as the Shivering Shores, a small Tribe allied with Berk that our father visited yearly with gifts. There was a little talk of the so-called Berserker Tribe too, but Hiccup said he was not up to talking about them, for some reason, so I let that pass. In return, I told Hiccup a bit of how the dragon enclaves worked, once he started running out of things to talk about.

As they were called in the dragon language, the Sovereign and Independent Enclaves of Kin were the closest equivalent I knew of to Viking Tribes, each with its own allies and enemies. Usually, they each consist of a single island, occupied by a single Breed of dragon; places like 'Changewing Island' hold such enclaves. From what I understand, a few of them even claim to be from a time before the King's rule began, though I can't really say if that claim is true or not. Still, a few, though largely independent, do have trade agreements and pacts with the King; such the Fireworm Matriarch on a particular island I once went that was required to tend to any Stoker Breeds in exchange for protections.

Before long though, Hiccup and I arrived at the port of Meathead Island.

"We're coming in!" yelled Mulch to his crew. The sails were immediately being reeled up, slowing us down gradually until we docked at the nearby pier.

Bucket pushed the loading ramp off, giving my elder the first step off. It was afterall, his right to decide who goes first as the Heir to the Hooligan Tribe.

Around the pier was a variety of armed men, each dressed up in a variety of chainmail and rugged furs. All of them seemed ready to fight at a moment's notice and I could not help like I was walking into a fiery pit. "Warm welcome," I commented.

"Not really, normally, I'd expect the siege catapults to aimed at the ship," my brother muttered.

"Gee, that makes me feel so much better," I responded. As if a few hundred pounds of rock coming at me were something I didn't need to be concerned about.

"Well, we better get moving, moving targets are harder to hit," said my brother as he left the ship; I followed behind him, ready to draw my crossbow at a moment's notice.

"Night Fury! Get down!" shouted one of them, sending the group, except for a few, braver or smarter warriors to just staring at the frightened warriors with displeasure. They immediately went back to standing at the ready once they realized how silly they looked.

My brother seemed to more annoyed by the whole scene than anything. "You know, I can honestly say that I got this sort of reaction more often _before_ I became a dragon," he said, despite the fact that only I could understand him.

Two men approached two of us. The first was a man who was even bigger and more brutish than Dad was, the muscles on his biceps alone looked like they could crack my spine. Despite the weather getting slowly colder, he didn't even feel it was necessary to even have something as sleeves! This has have been Mogadon, the Chief of the Meathead Tribe.

Beside him was a somewhat smaller man… well, almost man. Thuggory appeared to be almost a miniature version of his father; 'almost' since he was almost practically a fully grown man from where I stood. Well, he was seventeen, practically an adult.

The two of them seemed to be discussing amongst themselves about something, the tone barely restrained, but what they were talking about was unintelligible to my ears. It stopped only when Mogadon placed his hand on his son's shoulders and pushed him forward.

"Wow, you really weren't kidding, Hiccup," said the tall boy. "I knew you got yourself cursed into a dragon, but really who would have ever guessed that you'd be a Night Fury?"

I passed my brother a wooden plank from by bag and he began to scrawl something in the wood. Once he was done, he passed the wooden text to the Meathead Heir. 'LOKI MUST HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY WHEN HE PLANNED THAT,' said the plank.

The tall boy gave a small smirk of barely contained laugher. I still didn't know who Loki was, but apparently, Thuggory did, enough to make it seem funny to him at least. The tall boy then turned me, "And you must be Toothless, his little brother."

"Little in every sense of the word," I replied.

Thuggory also gave a curt smile in my direction. Well, I guess he did not appear to be all bad. His Dad did not seem to like us very much, but I think Thuggory was fine with us on the island. But then, the smile faded, replaced by a more somber, serious face. "Well, I know you came here expecting helpyou're your island… but I don't think now is the right time."

I blinked, the thought only registering in my head a second too late. So late in fact, my brother had enough time to scribble in a lengthy question. 'BUT YOU SAID WE COULD COME IN THAT LETTER WE RECEIVED YESTERDAY.'

"That was yesterday," said Thuggory, "Something came up."

"What something?" I demanded. My brother and I have been putting off this trip for a while now, and then the moment we arrive, something happens? Sometimes, I really get the feeling the whole world just does not approve of me. Now, I was a little… well, a lot outraged.

Thuggory appeared hesitant to speak for a moment, but then I saw his lips move, giving his response. "We've got a Whispering Death under the village."

As he said those words, my anger subsided in an instant, replaced by something else. My mouth hung open, almost frozen. Was it _that_ Whispering Death?

'WHAT WHISPERING DEATH?' asked my brother.

"A nasty thing that showed up yesterday. Been digging holes all over the village. We're sure there's only one because it has this bite mark on one of its sides, like something tore into it and made sure it would never forget," said the Meathead Heir.

My blood ran ice cold. There was no doubt about who it was now. "Uh, we better go," I said, pulling my brother by the wing and hoping to return back to the ship. Hiccup did not budge.

"Wait," shouted Thuggroy. "Hiccup, I think need to call in that favor of mine." I could hear Mogadon spit out a curse in the distance, drowned out by the hesitant chatter of the townsfolk wondering what exactly was going on in the Meathead Heir's mind. "I want you to rid us of this creature."

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******For some reason, chapter 2 of both stories has an overabundance of sailing related stuff.**

**The stuffed rat is a reference to Book Toothless's desire of wanting a pet rat in one of the books. I've taken some liberties here and there, but I've pretty much tried to translate that desire into how it would fit into the story. Stuffed rat was the easiest solution.**

**I've always had an idea for "Independant" dragon factions, but I never had the chance to put them on to paper and develop them until now. I imagine that even in a race focused on power and honor like the dragons are, they would still have plenty outside of that rule. Plus, it's a nice way to explain why some dragons did not show up aiding the King in the movie. He does not rule all dragons, but he still has authority over plenty of them. Imagine the relationship between an Ancient Empire like Rome to smaller City-States, and you get the gist of how it works out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. **

**For some reason, chapter 2 was relatively unpopular, reviews wise. It was fine in terms of getting attention and well, most everyone was flocking to read the previous story. Just want to say, I do want to know what your thoughts are, since feedback does help me adjust the story better.**

**Anyways, with relatives now living in my house and the finalization of renovations, I think I can move forward to writing more frequently. Also, nearly a week to the second movie. This chapter is probably the shortest, but I got this one out early. Maybe with a bit of luck, I can get something out on the Weekend meeting my intentions for cutting the chapters into two parts to post twice as fast.**

**I would also like to thank CAN07 again for providing me a better picture to use for the story. He worked hard to edit the previous one to fit in better with the site's thumbnail system**

**Enjoy.**

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"So let me get this straight, you want us to face a Whispering Death?" spat Toothless. "And _not _the small army of Viking warriors with biceps the size of my waist?" I would have written something out to ask Thuggory the same thing, but I think I was too busy pulling my jaw from the ground to bother… I mean, really, what is it with people suddenly _wanting _me to do important things for them? I few months ago, I would have done practically anything to get this kind of attention and now I think I had too just much of it.

Mogadon grunted, "Heh, the boy knows his place, not too dimwitted for a Hooligan boy. Boy, what's gotten into you, thinking this little runt and Stoick's little ru…" -he looked at me, and immediately corrected himself mid-word- "and not so little runts can do for us? Let the warriors do their job and fight."

"Father, we've already lost five buildings and six men; Grimmaw is too elusive and too dangerous."

"Pft," spat the Meathead Chief. "And you're sending off a so-called Heir who never knew about his father until a month ago and a boy who was so bad being a Viking, the gods decided to turn him into a dragon! Face it, son. Those two have been cursed by the gods; they can't help us."

Thuggory spoke up, making it clear he had made his decision and he was not backing down, even from the brute that was his dad. "Father," he snapped, as if that single word alone carried enough information and insistence to make a solid argument. His father in return glared at him and an argument practically seemed inevitable.

At this time, I managed to pull myself together, enough to try write a coherent reply. You could do this Hiccup, your father was counting on you, you could do this. 'OH, GREAT HIGH CHIEF OF THE MEATHEAD TRIBE, MY FATHER CALLS YOU HIS GREATEST AND MOST POWERFUL RIVAL.' I quickly scrawled. Holding my breath, I threw the wooden plank at his feet, drawing the attention of the two Meathead royalty present. You could do this Hiccup, right?

"Heh. Well, that's true. Hardly anyone will do for a good rival these days…" muttered the Meathead Chief, seemly forgetting his anger the moment he's been complimented. It seemed to be working.

Toothless gave me a questioning look, wondering what I was even doing, but he did not say a word, only give vague, questioning gestures. 'MY TRIBE IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF AID, I CAME HERE SEEKING THAT AID. I SIMPLY OFFER A TRADE, MY SERVICES." I wrote. Hopefully, this worked. I knew better than to have this guy for an enemy, but maybe, just maybe, I can butter him up to agree to some sort of resolution. No matter what, I had to get my father the things he needed… and to get access to the Library. While, I knew that while asking for help was often out of the question and a huge blow to the respect among the Tribes, trading did not seem to have the same stigma attached to it. See, it did not count as asking for help if you paid someone to do it for you. Yes, it is a technicallity, but most Vikings did not care so long as an inconvenient problem was dealt with… or if the payment was good enough.

"Uh, yeah," agreed Thuggory. "All we need to do is hire them…"

"Hmph," grunted his father. He seemed to consider it for a moment. On the one hand, he had far less respect to lose in hiring me; on the other, he risked giving a chance for my Dad to have something to brag about next time there was a Thing. But I knew what was going on his head, because the same thought was going on in mind: what were the chances that this boy and this dragon could actually succeed? What harm was there in letting us go by? "Fine, so, then here's the deal," he said. "If you lot take that beast off my island, I'll give you what you want; ships, iron, you name it. But if someone else gets it, you ain't getting so much as a wineskin for your troubles."

I nodded, Toothless did the same, although hesitantly..

Mogadon, laughed, very pleased with himself, which hopefully was good for me. "Well, then, you better get to work if you want to get paid." The Meathead Chief then turned to his men, all of them whispering and muttering with rampant speculation over what had just transpired right in front of them. With a only a quick glance from their leader, they stopped. Alright, men, most of you gots better things to do than sit around here watching these Hooligans and Ne'er-do-wells; I want everyone who does not have business here to leave the docks." At that, all and I mean _all _of the armed men put away their weapons and shields and went off to distant places, leaving behind only a few concerned and more civilian, well, less battle ready, looking villagers in their place. Traders and businessmen flocked to the ships, carefully avoiding me, and did their business.

Mulch looked at me from the ship, looking for approval. As the firstborn son, I did have the authority and command of the Ship, at least, on paper. In practices, I was just, well, the oldest son of the Chief, not a captain or a great leader. Still, Mulch did respect me more than most, so he asked. I gave him a silent nod, giving him permission to do what he needed to do. The ships each had a small store miscellaneous bulk cargo, such as fish and furs. Even if Mogadon's deal with me fell through, I knew I could at least get _something else_ of value from the townsfolk through the small trades.

Mogadon himself then left, leaving behind only his son to finish business in his stead. "Well, that worked better than I thought. I was thinking he would cut you up and put you on the trophy wall," he told me. I cringed at that revelation, suddenly remembering something important. These days, I've gotten so used to people treating me well… like normal that I almost forgot that I now looked like _the _one trophy that could elevate even the lowliest runt to a mighty champion. Good thing I decided to be civil…

"Okay…" Toothless said, bewildered.. "So, now that that's out of the way, how are we supposed to take the Whispering Death down?"

"Well, that's why I got you for," said Thuggory. "I figure the best way to fight a dragon is to ask one, and well, Hiccup's the only dragon I know that can write… and well, he actually uses his head for something other than breaking rocks…"

"That he does," said my little brother, a small glimmer of a smile on his face. I tapped him on the shoulders a little, giving my silent thanks. And to think I was never appreciated by my own Tribe... In hindsight, maybe, I should have spent more time with Dad overseas, made more friends among the other Heirs, I seemed to be really popular among them. Sure, I might not have been a strong Heir physically, but I might have had good connections and sometimes that was more important…

Thuggory then led us to a small table in a nearby hut. A map depicting the island was stuck to the table in the middle, with dozens of little pins marked with flags of assorted colors above various points above the map. On another wall, there was a small cache of weapons, from axes to spears, to arrows to swords and opposite that was a wall with assorted trophies. This must have been Thuggory's base of operations.

Before Thuggory could even explain it, I took a closer look at the map, studying it to see if I could learn to discern a pattern. Clearly, Thuggory or some other Meathead was thinking ahead, plotting the assorted places where the Whispering Death appeared or where casualties were. While I did not know what each flag meant, I was able to understand what it was all for.

At the same time, Thuggory and Toothless had a small conversation together.

"So, you really Hiccup's little brother?" asked the Meathead Chief. That drew my attention immediately. It occurred to me, I might not have told Thuggory…everything, the same way Toothless and I told Dad. I mean, I got him involved, with a few of the arcane things I've learned, but not really much on the stuff involving dragons. I mean, letters were not exactly the most secure form of information and well, sometimes, I had a hard time believing the mess I was steeped in.

"Uh, yeah, why do you ask that?" replied Toothless.

"Oh, well," Thuggory stumbled for a moment. "My Dad thinks that you… well, born at an Inn…" Or in less polite terms, 'you are not a legitimate child'.

The whole thing seemed to have flown past my little brother. "Well, no, not an Inn. Mother had always told me that it was underneath a boat…" Thuggory nodded, as if that statement meant something important enough to note. There was just so _many ways_ that could be interpreted and the thought of what could be the one inside the Meathead Heir's head made me shudder. I mean, even though Toothless said we were brothers, that could still easily be interpreted to mean half-siblings. And well, depending on how far hat rumor spread, that could affect either my Dad or my brother in harmful ways.

Before the situation got any more out of hand or a rumor could be spread, I quickly scrawled on a plank of wood, 'FOR THE RECORD, WE SHARE BOTH PARENTS. LONG STORY.'

This prompted Thuggory to immediately give me a confused look before shaking whatever thoughts he had away. "Well, nevermind," he stated. "We've got a mission at hand. So, we've got this Whispering Death on our island…"

Before he could recap everything he said previously about the dragon, Toothless raised his hand and interjected. "Yeah, I know him," stated my brother. I nodded in confirmation. Toothless met him when he was very young and ended up having night terrors for years because of it. Recently, he also showed up on Outcast Island and in our dreams, but we hardly knew all that much about the dragon… "Mother gave him that scar on his side."

"You mean that bite mark?" questioned the Meathead. "But isn't Valhallarama your mother? I mean… I don't think any Viking has jaws that big…"

I quickly scribbled in a response, 'YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW STRONG AN ANGRY MOTHER CAN BE.' At the same time, I scolded my brother to revealing that bit of information so soon, "Not now, Toothless; we shouldn't let him know about that stuff right now…" While I felt Thuggory was trustworthy, revealing to him that my brother was responsible for attacking an island, probably his own, was probably not going to go too well with the tall boy… I did not want an enemy.

"Well, maybe," muttered the Meathead, buying the story. Technically I was not lying, but I still felt somewhat guilty about it. "So anyways," he said as he moved over to the map table. "We call him Grimmaw because… any dragon that's been giving us this much trouble deserves a name and he's got a nasty jaw."

"So, what has he done?" I asked, Toothless relaying my words for me.

"That's the strange thing," said Thuggory as he approached the map on the table. "Dad doesn't believe me about this, but I've noticed something… weird about where this dragon's been going."

"How weird?" asked my brother.

"Well, normally, you'd think dragons if they take a nest they'd only attacking the things that are close enough to threaten their nests or just rob store houses for food and whatnot… Grimmaw does not do any of that. Every hour, on the hour, he attacks a building." Thuggory then placed his finger on a red flag by the middle of the map. "Granary, burned down, everything destroyed." He then moved to another red flag, this time closer to the docks. "Smithery, only the furnace was destroyed." And then another flag, this time blue and on the opposite end of the village limits. "Armory, front door broken… and only the front door."

Immediately, I began to see what Thuggory was pointing out. While, I knew dragons were much more than beasts, practically as smart as humans, this was odd even by their standards, especially since no normal dragon knows the functions of say a workshop or an armory… Of course, this was probably not a normal dragon and I needed more information to actually make a correct guess in what way, but I had my suspicions. I just had to ask one more question. "ANY HOUSES DESTROYED?"

Thuggory shook his head. "That's the odd thing about it all. Other than as a result of collateral damage, Grimmaw never goes after any building that's just a house. Ever since he showed up, he's been going after the important buildings. I mean, what kind of dragon does that?"

"Dragons are smarter than you give them credit for…" said Toothless, a small smirk on his face as he turned to glance at me. "I mean, take a look at this guy right here."

"Because I clearly know how to get us out of this mess…" I muttered. Still, it was easy to figure out that the Whispering Death was here for a reason, some sort of purpose he wanted the Meatheads to meet. What it was, I did not know, but that did not matter. "Do we have an idea where Grimmaw will show up next?" I asked, Toothless relaying my words for me.

Thuggory shook his head. Well, that was worth a try. We had a pattern, but I guess one day was not enough information to figure out where it would go next. "And Dad isn't listen to me to me lately, so he isn't going to be giving us command of enough men to position at any of the important, undamaged buildings yet; we're on our own." That was really unfortunate. I was about to suggest we tried that and hoped we could get lucky, but apparently Thuggory had a rough relationship with his father as of late. Growing up, I've always heard about how Thuggory was the kind of boy my father wished I was. A perfect Heir, practically, blessed to be physically strong and able in mind. I figured that given these things, his dad probably listened to him, respected his son's judgment…. I am not seeing any of that. Why was Mogadon opposing his son now?

I shook my head. I had my priorities and Thuggory could tell me later, I imagine. So, lacking any sane option, I might as well take the crazy one. Using the last wooden plank I had in a nearby bag, I suggested a harebrained scheme, one that would probably get me killed or seriously maimed, but I had no other choice other than to just wait for something to happen. No matter what, I had to stop that dragon so that I could do what was for the good of my Tribe… and I can't do that without learning more about him. 'HAS THERE BEEN AN ESCAVATION THROUGH THE TUNNELS YET?'

As soon as I wrote that, my brother slapped the wooden board away from me. "Hiccup, are you crazy? Why do you want to go down there in those tunnels, in dark, where that… _beast_ is and get killed?" he shouted.

"To learn," I said to him. "And, I need to talk to him, maybe work things out…" Though, something told me the latter was practically going to be impossible… A few images flashed through my head, a dozen different ways I could be horribly injured by a Whispering Death's many teeth, but I blocked them out. I mean, I could probably fight him off now, hopefully.

"But it'll be very dark down there, your nightvision won't function without enough light," he said.

"You showed me how to echolocate… I'll see just fine." I replied. Another trick I learned was the strange, Night Fury specific art of being able to see with my ears. I just make a call with a specific tone and pitch and then a second or two later, my ears gave me a stange, colorless picture or shapes… It was weird at first, but even in total darkness, I could see clearly.

I turned to Thuggory again, who was mostly lost in the seemingly one sided conversation I had with my brother, though he seemed to glean what was going on… "Well, Dad has sent people through, but we haven't made any progress… I can take you to one of the nearby tunnels if you wanted."

"Well, lead the way," I said. Thuggory only gave me a confused look, not understanding because Toothless kept silent, looking at me with worry… Okay, that settled it. The first thing I'm getting from the Hairy Scary Librarian when I meet him is a way for me to let normal Vikings understand me, because having write things out or rely on someone else to translate for me was really getting old. I don't care if I have to stay a dragon for another month, if it meant I could at least _talk _to people, ordinary people again, I think I could spend the next year covered in scales and not mind it.

Sighing, I picked up the wooden board and wrote my request again. This time, Thuggory complied and stepped out of the house. I was about to the same, but Toothless grabbed onto my wing, stopping me before I could leave. "Wait," he called to me.

"Toothless, I'm not going to pick a fight," I told him. "I'm just going to go down there, talk to him and leave

"But... Hiccup," he struggled to say. He appeared to be hesitant and that in turn was making me question if this was a smart idea after all… Well, of coruse it wasn't, but maybe there was a better option? I shook my head.

"I have to go, bud" I said, as I pulled my wing free from my hands and stepped right outside.

Before I could run off though, a sudden weight fell upon my shoulders. I turned my head skyward, my eyes reaching the familiar green eyes that ran in my father's side; Toothless was on top of me.. "You're not going alone!"

* * *

Why am I doing this? Why?

Darkness surrounded me and the only comforts I had were those next to me. My brother was by my side, guiding us ever forward with cries inaudible to human ears, and Thuggory followed behind us, a sword ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. Yet, why was I here? What did I contribute other than just carrying a lamp?

I mean, it's not like I am really needed, right? I mean, Thuggory had muscle and my brother… well, was my brother. Surely, they didn't need me to go follow them headlong into a pit dug by _him_, right?

I turned my head behind us, imagining that I could a glimpse of the entance, our way out… In reality, I knew it was long gone now, my brother having led us down this tunnel for what felt like a timeless eternity. "You can go back now, you know," suggested my brother.

My fist was clenched hard against Hiccup's leathery wings had and the heavy brass lantern, my only source of illumination. I mean, I should just be making sure I was with them right? Losing either of those things was just foolish. It wasn't because I was scared or anything.

"No, I-I'm fine," I told him. Yeah, I was. Why wouldn't I be?

"If you're sure…" Hiccup appeared satisfied and went back to guiding us ever forward.

Smirking to myself, I followed him steadily. Yeah, it was a good thing he was not forcing me to sit at the sidelines like the last time danger happened nearby. I am not afraid of… him… and these dark… dank…tunnels…

"Toothless, hurry up!" I heard my brother shout. Suddenly, I realized that Hiccup and Thuggory were now several feet away from me. When did they have the time to suddenly jump ahead of me.

"Hey, wait up!" I said, as I ran up to meet them.

Thuggory and Hiccup gave each other a look of some sort as I approached. Oh no, they must think I was scared..."Toothless, are you alright? You've been acting jittery." asked the Meathead Heir.

As Hiccup started going forward again, Thuggory and myself followed him.

"I'm not scared," I said to them.

"I… did not say you were scared," said the Meathead Heir. Well, good going, Toothless, now he thinks you're scared.

"Well, I'm not," I insisted. "I'm perfectly capable of-" Suddenly, the sound of something clang came from out of nowhere. In a sudden move, hid behind a nearby alcove in the cavewall, hoping to evade the danger, my eyes shut.

"Sorry!" I heard my brother yell. "Stepped in something!" I opened my eyes to see my brother pick up with his mouth a badly mangled piece of metal with what looked to lopped off horns as if it was … a helmet. Nearby, I also noticed the pelt of what must have been a yak… and some discarded chainmail covered in a dark liquid. The implication plainly obvious to those present… most especially me, since I avoided that fate long ago.

"Wow," commented Thuggory. "Let's hope we're luckier…" My brother and I could only nod in agreement… Maybe, bravery is not all it's cut out to be?

"That's not all," said my brother as he took a few steps forward. Thuggory and I followed.

We arrived at some sort of cavern. While the tunnels we had just come from were surprisingly large enough not to feel claustrophobic all the time, this place was… big. There was plenty of room dug out, even a small lake in the middle of the area… and a glimmer of light shining daylight from the roof top, even though we were at least dozens if not a hundred feet underground. As the three of us approached, I became aware that there were a few bricks and loose stones surrounding the small hole leading to the surface.

Additionally, I took my lamp and navigated around the cavern, noting that there were at least a dozen or so other passage ways in and out. Whatever this place was, it must have been the very center of operations or at least… near it. If it was, then, why was he not here? An inkling feeling of dread hit my stomach, just before I could feel something in my bones rattle.

"The beast Grimmaw makes his lair underneath one of the wells!" shouted Thuggory. "Dad will really want to know about-"

My brother, having very good control over his tail ever since I taught him how to control it properly, placed his tailfins directly ontop of the Meathead Heir's mouth, silencing him.

He looked down one of the caverns, specifically, the one I was immediately in front of… While I could only feel it at first, it was not long before I could hear the sound of something coming right at me at an impossible speed. And yet, I only stood there, my feet feeling like they had been turned into solid granite.

In an instant, I saw a brief glimpse of a teeth… lots and lots of teeth come barreling right at me from one of the caves. "Young Night Fury!" I heard. At the same time, I felt a force slam into the side of my gut. With my eyes closed shut, I felt myself get hurled into a nearby wall just as a loud booming noise hit me.

When I opened my eyes… I saw the Whispering Death taking a bite out of the ground I had just left. Thuggory was right by to me, his massive arms around me… It only took me a second to realize he tackled me to save my life. "Uh, thanks," I told the Meathead Heir as I struggled to get to my feet and draw my weapon. Thankfully, between my lantern and the hole in the roof, there was plenty enough light for me to see what was going on.

"No problem," replied Thuggory as he grabbed on to his sword.

As the Whispering Death spat out the hard rock in its mouth, Hiccup leapt in between me and the dragon. The nearly blind dragon made a sound that was something like a hiss. "What is your business here?" he said in an almost guttural, broken tone.

Yes, it was him, the same beast that had plagued my dreams for years. With my brother's help, I had managed to conquer the idea of him that terrified me when I was younger, that still paled in comparison to the real thing. All one in my dreams could do was make me wish I could die of fright, this beast, could do so much worse.

"We didn't come here to pick a fight!" yelled my brother. "I just want to know why you've been attacking these… Herd. " Herd was what the dragons called humans, it was practically an insult, a denoting something as a lesser creature, now that I thought about it. While Hiccup and I do not think about humans the same way as normal dragons do, he was only using it because we were unsure of the made up and far less offensive sounds could be understood by him. Yeah… just think about that, not the teeth.

"That is none of your concern, fool!" spat the dragon. He then glared at me, coiling his body around. "Thrice, he has disturbed my den and thrice I sought to destroy him. Do not interfere!" And then the dragon lunged at me…while forgetting there was something else between him and his prize. Hiccup tackled the Whispering Death away, breaking him from his attack.

"You're not hurting Toothless, not now, not ever again," cried my brother as he planted his hind legs into the ground his front paws raised and ready to strike. His tail was raised in the air, able to be used as a whip if the situation called for it. Wings were tucked away, their sheer size not really all that useful in the caverns under dozens of feet of stone. Overall, Hiccup did what he could to guard himself against the dragon…

"Who are you? What is that little monster to you…?" said the dragon as he approached Hiccup, a tone equal parts malice and curiosity in his words. I saw him… sniff my brother, as if taking in his scent was that important.

"Because someone with five rows of razor sharp teeth can really call someone else a monster," said my brother, trying to take a jab at the dragon, he didn't seem to mind.

"Night Fury," he said, as if he suddenly realized something important, something obvious that he really should have known. Now that I thought about it, Whispering Deaths were nearly blind in many situations, mostly relying on stench and sound to even perceive the world around them. In fact, he might have even realized I was not covered in scale from head to toe…or the fact I was not a hatchling given that he referred to me as 'young Night Fury', but my brother as just 'Night Fury'.

"What's going on?" asked Thuggory in a whisper. Unfortunately, as the only person who could not understand dragons, he was left out of the conversation.

"Nothing good," I whispered back a sudden feeling creeping out of my stomach.

And then the massive boulder class dragon said these few words, sending a chill down my spine. "You are _her _eldest…"

While my brother did not immediately resist a dragon's attempts to smell him, he immediately jabbed the dragon in the face with his right paw once it clear things were about to become even worse. In response, the dragon attempted to lunge at my brother again, only to suffer another blow to the head.

Unfortunately, due my lack of well… being a dragon limited me from teaching my brother and combat techniques other than describing a few things. While I had some of my friends able to teach him some dragon fighting, none of them had a body close enough to Night Fury's to really explain things all that well. Sure, I managed to teach a little tailfighting without having a tail, but only the most basic material. Like Mom did so long ago, Hiccup was trying to use what he knew of human fighting to give him some sort of edge. Unlike Mom though, Hiccup did not have nearly as much experience.

This time the Whispering Death did not go directly for an attack. Instead, he steered his head from the side and lunged in from that direction. Hiccup managed to block that attack, but he was not prepared for the follow up coming from his other side. The Whispering Death took a bite out of Hiccup's side, causing the Night Fury to give an anguished scream as the spinning teeth dug into his flesh. Hiccup tried to throw off the larger dragon, but all he managed to do was give the creature another opening. In the blink of an eye, the Whispering Death's serpentine body coiled around my brother's torso, his spike covered form causing him major discomfort.

"We gotta save him!" cried Thuggory his sword ready for the swing. He ran up toward the brawl between the two dragons. With a furious, challenging scream, he plunged his sword into the dragon's side, drawing some blood, but only barely leaving a mark. A Whispering Death was one of the toughest dragon Breeds I knew of and this was proof enough of that.

But the Whispering Death did not relent, instead opting to coil around my brother all the more. "More! GIve me more!" he shouted as he kept trying to bite off my brother's head. Hiccup forelegs were able to block the dragon's approach, for now, but he was still taking heavy damage from his resistance. Thuggory still tried to strike the twisting and tumbling mass of dragons and for the most part he was landing most of his blows against the Whispering Death, but it was still not enough. Thuggory and his blade were strong, but not strong enough.

At the same time, I started aiming down the sights of my crossbow, looking for an opening to launch my attack. But the battle was just too chaotic, too wild for me to take a safe shot… What if I hurt Hiccup again? If I injured him gravely here, who would help us? The King was not here and even if he was, what did I have to barter?

"Toothless!" I heard a voice call out to me, stealing me away from my thoughts. It was Hiccup. "Take the shot, take it now!" he commanded. He fell onto the ground, the Whispering Death lashing out with everything he had.

My crossbow far heavier than it should to be. I had to make this one shot, this one shot to give my brother the fighting chance he needed and it seemed pretty impossible. For one, though Thuggory and his big sword were hitting the Whispering Death, he was barely inflicting any damage; what hope did a simple crossbow have compared to that? Another thing was that my crossbow was not a repeater; I only had a single shot to work with. If I missed, that was that and my brother would probably perish before I could ready another shot.

Why did it have to come down to me? I mean, I'm not that good at shooting, right? That myth about a Night Fury never missing his mark was pretty much a lie, after all; we were not perfect… In fact, I wasn't even a Night Fury right now. Of course, I would miss such an important shot.

"What is the matter, young Night Fury?" said the Whispering Death, pausing his assault. Hiccup struggled to catch his breath, thankful he had at least this small comfort. Thuggory stopped, too, exhausted from swing his sword to no avail. In fact, a part of me wanted to say that the Whispering Death might not even realize Thuggory was striking him… or even here at all. "Do you not care about your about your pathetic 'Kin'?"

"Leave him alone," I told him. "Why do you want us?"

"Your _mother_," spat the dragon. "She will pay for letting me live the rest of my life like… this." Sure, enough, he understood Norse, something no ordinary dragon had a right to do so. The Whispering Death at one point must have been involved with some sorcery and may have very possibly been human, given how he spoke… I guess it's better to know these things, even when they'd do me no good.

"You know," said a weak voice. I turned to find it was Hiccup. His face and forelegs were bloodied, but he was still breathing. "There's far worse things than being like…this," he said, turning his head to one side, since he could not gesture to himself any other way.

My brother's words though angered the Whispering Death."Like what? You never lost your arms and legs? How about your sight?" He shouted. "How would you like to live the rest of your meaningless existence crawling in the dirt? Or to be treated as nothing more but a mindless beast by those you once considered friends?" For a split second, I saw him reel his massive head slightly backward, readying a final decisive attack.

And then... I don't know what happened. I heard a sound, something mechanical click and whir, followed by an anguished scream. I saw a puddle of blood splatter onto the floor, a bolt sticking out of the Whispering Death's left eye. I paused for a moment, looking at my crossbow; the drawstring was loose and the wheel I used to prime the prod was released. It took me a moment to realize, that I pulled the trigger; I wounded the Whispering Death, the very creature I had feared for so long…

Immediately, I turned back to my brother. He took advantage of the opportunity I had created and tossed the Whispering Death off of him and into a wall. Soon after, Hiccup was back on all fours, but still looking rather beaten for his trouble. However, he was not looking at the downed dragon and instead… at one of the tunnels. "We have to get out of here!" he shouted. Thuggory was taken by surprise when Hiccup tackled him to get him ontop of his wings. "Get on!"

Looking back at the dragon, I thought for a moment that maybe we were leaving too early. We could continue the fight… and get hurt even more, accomplishing nothing. I promptly leapt on top of my brother and then we were off.

But just before we left the room, I saw the Whispering Death, bolt still stuck in his left eye, stir. "You cowards dare leave me?" he spat went back on his… stomach? He then went after us, using his small wings to perform a sort of gliding maneuver.

"Grimmaw is coming for us!" shouted Thuggory.

"For a dragon without legs, he is sure fast!" yelled by brother, his breaths labored, but he still pressed on. "Hang on!"

I did so, grabbing on to Hiccup's wings. As I turned back, I realized that the Whispering Death was still coming for us and ever so slightly, inching forward. Looking ahead, I could only see blackness ahead. I did not know how far this tunnel was or how much more we had to go. Our trip inward took us at least thirty minutes and I was sure Hiccup was not going to last that long. At least… not unless I did something to buy time.

I picked up my crossbow and loaded another bolt. "What are you doing?" asked Thuggory.

"Slowing him down!" I replied. Using practiced motions, I turned the wheel of my loading mechanism as fast as I could. I did not bother with aiming, though I at least made sure that I had my weapon pointed in the general direction of the thing. Then, as soon as I heard a distinctive click, the sound the machine created when it was ready, I pulled the trigger, launching a bolt at the slowly advancing dragon. The Whispering Death, still reeling from the blow I dealt him dodge out of the way, slowing down slightly and giving Hiccup more of a lead.

At the same time, the Whispering Death launched volleys of its own, throwing its spines in a maddened out of control manner.

I did this for maybe eight, maybe nine times more, each cycling taking half a minute or what felt like one. My hand was starting to ache from turning the loading wheel as fast as I had been and I was unsure of how much more I could do it… "I see light!" shouted Hiccup. "We're almost there!" Fortunately, it seemed like I did not need to do too much more.

This time, I slowly turned the wheel as I took aim, one last shot.

"No, you will not escape!" shouted the Whispering Death.

"We just did!" I replied. I pulled my trigger one last time today. While it was true that Whispering Deaths had a very strong carapace that was almost impervious to most weapons, human and dragon alike, the same could not be said for their wings. Like in most other dragons, they were fraggile and very vulnerable to being cut up. Aiming at the membrane, I cut a massive hole into the Whispering Death's right wing, a tear so large and abrupt that it caused the dragon to fall right out of his glide and run smack dab into the wall.

It was then Hiccup leapt out of the entrance, wings unfurled to give him enough lift to escape the pit. Thuggory and I tried to hold on, but we both lost our grip and off, just right outside the entrance.

Quickly, I rose to my feet, just in time to see Hiccup turn back to the pit and release a destructive blast, collapsing the tunnel. And then it was over, for now. The beast would have to spend some time if he wanted to come after us now and I doubted he could find us in the village.

I turned and approached my brother who had collapsed from the effort. "Nice shooting," he complimented, lazily. Hiccup was beat up hard dozens, maybe a hundred bite marks and scratches dotting his large form. While the same potion that turned Hiccup into a Night Fury also gave him a degree of ability to heal, my brother was still heavily injured.

"You , too…" I said. While I had not been hurt nearly as bad, the stress and the rush took their toll on me; my head throbbed and my vision was a bit blurry adjusting to the bright light of the afternoon sun. I laid on the ground by my brother, still aware that I could hurt him if I was not careful.

Faintly, I could see that we were in a market place of some sort, maybe the heart of the Meathead village. There were quite a lot of people around, all of them staring at the two of us, wondering what had just transpired underneath them. A dozen or so formed a tight circle around us, weapons ready. Thuggory approached a few of them and said some things to them, not sure what of what, bud I don't think it mattered…

"You tired, bud?" Hiccup asked.

I nodded. "A little…"

"Good, maybe we can have an afternoon nap," he suggested.

Yes, maybe that would be a good idea after all, a little rest. But there was a disturbing feeling gnawing at me; I knew there was something wrong. Now that the rush of emotions from battle had ended, I could not help but feel a little pain or maybe it was the absence of pain from my legs. Turning, saw a jagged spike sticking out of my lower left leg… and a small puddle of blood forming underneath it.

I should be concerned, frightened, yet for some reason, I couldn't. I just, did not feel all that bothered, all that worried, all that afraid. There were more important things to worry about… like sleeping, like rest.

Yes, that was what I needed to do. I closed my eyes.

* * *

**No author's notes this time, except a note saying there are no notes.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. **

**I know I left you guys on a cliff hanger earlier, well, there's a little side story coming today, something to give you a little break from the suspense and seriousness of the previous c****hapters. Instead, I give you a chance to see some characters we had not had a chance to peak into last story.**

**This story came out five days after, than my usual eight, these days, so at least, I am working on cutting down the time it takes for me to post. Hopefully, I can keep improving.**

**Also, for those of you who seen the new movie, congratz, I'll be seeing it later this week.**

**Enjoy and please remember to Reveiw.**

**I'll catch you guys next week or maybe even sooner than that.**

* * *

Sometimes, I find it strange to be in my own body. The scales of my whitish underbelly and chin have never appeared to clear, nor did my blue coat glisten so well after a hard day's work. My assorted horns and spines were well trimmed to my satisfaction, as deadly and attractive as the finest of the Herd's, no, the human's unnatural weaponry. Now, I'm certain I am still as beautiful as I remember, perhaps even more so now after adding more ways to enhance my appearance to my daily routine. Looking, at my reflection in the murky water, yet, I could not believe this was me.

Perhaps, I am just imagine things, I was still me, right? Honest, all I really did was use several of those waxy spheres that my Host's family was somewhat fondly of in this morning's bath and suddenly I am thinking I am completely different person. Sure, I did not expect that the fat from swine could ever be used to further the cause of cleanliness, but I don't think 'soap', as humans called it, removed things like identities, that would be silly.

Yet I cannot shake the awkward feeling of walking with these two massive legs while balancing my tail as a counter weight to my heavy front. Sure, I knew that compared to most other Kin, my Breed had relatively unstable footing, but it had never felt that odd to me… until now.

Even worse, seeing the world with my two eyes felt especially strange; growing up, I've had to cope with occasionally missing things right in front of me, small objects would seemingly disappear from my sight once it got close enough to my snout, yet now that I have gotten so used to being able to see the space just beyond my own snout, that I almost feel dazed not being able to do so.

I sighed, looking at the piece of silvery jewelry I that hung, barely exposed from my pack. It was the doing of these trinkets, I reasoned. The amulets our temporary Flight Commander crafted for us kept us in human form as long as we wore them, the strange and arcane powers within them functioning for those who had originally been dragons. Though, due to an incident I will not find myself forgiving a certain _boy_ for some time, I lost my original trinket…As soon as _he_ comes back, I am going to pay him back for quite a few other offenses. Still, I would not be even considering such mad and convoluted thoughts were it not for a single decision I had made a few months ago.

Before, I had thought it was a simple scouting assignment, a small chance to earn a little prestige by attending the service of another Flight Commander. I even convinced a couple of my peers, my fellow Squires in the Knighthood, of the benefits of such a unique assignment, unknowing of what our task really was. Instead, we all found ourselves far away from home, in bodies not of our own, speaking to creatures that we were taught were little more than mindless animals… Then, I found myself imprisoned, only to be set free by the ones who placed me there…

At first, once it became the norm for false Kin to roam the streets, I thought I could distance myself, walk around as I truly was, in plain sight amongst the former Herd. I was asked by their Chief to educate them, and that did not require me to hide as I really was. But, then I received a simple white silk scarf and then I found myself 'borrowing' these infernal contraptions more every day, dawning on gifted clothing and my fine scarf.

"Are you okay?" asked a voice next to me. I turned to find my Host, hefting a wood cutting axe over her shoulder. Suddenly, I remembered I was in the middle of Berk, right by my Host's den, looking into a basin of water. It was well past noon, with the sky turning somewhat red around the sun as the rest darkened.

"I am fine, Astrid," I replied. Unlike other most humans, my Host had partaken of a cursed potion, one that allowed her to understand the speech of my Kin, yet cursed her to speak in our tongue, among other maladies. It forced her to have to rely on either writing to communicate to others, but at least she could understand me in my rightful form.

The so-called 'shield-maiden' raised her axe, considering it for a moment as she put her back against the tree. "You're a terrible liar, you know that, Stormfly," 'Stormfly' was the name she and another gave me, a name closer sounding to one amongst my Kin, but ultimately, still a name given rather than earned.

"I am not lying," I snapped back. Really? She was questioning my word now? "I am perfectly fine."

"Because I've been here for the past half hour watching at you look at your own reflection," she said nonchalantly.

I clenced my jaw in frustration, my host was making this more difficult than she needed to. "It is a Nadder thing," I insisted. "You know how vain my kind are!" It is not every day that I get to use my Breed's reputation to my advantage, but here it was.

That caused Astrid to smirk, as if she had thought of something. Though, whatever it was, she did not allude to. "Whatever you say," was all she said, before changing the topic all together. "So, how was this today's class?" Well, at least she was not continuing that line of thought…

Since me and my peers had been tasked with assisting the false Kin, I was in charge of teaching them the ways of flight. Nadders like myself were adept fliers, given a grace that only a slimmer, narrower body could afford; simply put, Gronckles and Nightmares often lacked natural agility due to their broader, heavier forms. It was simply natural that I taught them how to move in their new forms, fitting since, I was the only one of my peers to actually pay attention in class… If any one of us Squires was eligible to be a teacher, it would be me.

"Stormfly?" said my Host, breaking me from my concentration. "Are you listening to me?"

"Oh, I am," I replied. "Class was… fine." Aside from one young male who shall not be named, I felt today was a success, if a bit difficult. Most false Kin are hesitant about learning to fly; even though it had been nearly two weeks since their transformation, most still prefer to try to walk, rather than spread their wings. Such a shame really, but I cannot force them to give up so easily.

"Him, again?" asked my Host. I nodded, politely, since she knew about my one problem with teaching the so-called 'Dragon Training'. Honestly, the one applicant who was _not _distressed at joining my Kin in the least was quite possibly the most difficult 'student' I have ever met. Honestly, he was not even my student… or even anyone else's for that matter, the situation surrounding him was… unique to say the least. "Alright, I'll tell Snotlout to deal with him," said my Host. "Maybe get him to bother Hookfang instead."

Grateful, I bowed to my host. It was preferable to not put up with _him_ for another day, let him be the problem for the slacker, the one born into fortune yet did little to earn it. "Yes, that will do nicely," I smirked; maybe I should have bothered my Host ages ago.

"Well, we don't have much time then," said my Host as she picked up my pack and slowly went into her abode. I followed her. Mostly, I carried my around since it provided an easy place to put all of my things no matter what form I took, that and I liked the way it looked with me. "We better get you changed," she said. "We got weapon practice tonight."

I blinked. I forgot that my Host offered to teach me the ways of human combat. While, I will admit, I was somewhat enthralled by the use of steel arms and heavy blades to defend myself… that did require me to be in human form. I realize now that I might be spending a little far too much time away from… myself. "On second thought, I don't need those lessons, Astrid," I responded.

"Really?" asked my Host. "You seemed quite a eager to learn last night…" Last night, I had been wondering about human combat practices, after a little talk we did about how what weapons dealt with what armor the most effectively and the combat styles employed by each.

"I am perfectly fine protecting myself in my natural form," I stated. In fact, one could say, I was one of the best in my league. "All I would need to do is remove the trinket around my neck."

"Ah, but what if you can't?" asked my Host as she placed my bag on a nearby chair. She did have a point, I needed to spend at least a few seconds to remove my amulet, allowing me to transform. Aside from that, there were places where assuming my true form might be problematic… but even still, I doubted I would be in any place to begin with.

"Then, I won't get in a position, I can't," I insisted.

Astrid hummed a little, intriguing me. She clearly had something up her sleeve… I really have been spending too much time in human form if I have begun to appropriate even their sayings… "Well, that's too bad," she stated as she turned her back to me. Now that I noticed it, I realized there was a feigned tone of surprise in her voice as she spoke to me, like she must have saw through my deception so cleanly. She was right, I needed to get better at… lying to her. "Oh, really?" she questioned.

Before I could insist even further, I found myself barely evading my Host as she charged right at me. Side stepping away from her blow, I responded with a swipe of my tail, sending her off tumbling to the floor. Previously, I would have thought I won there and then, but I knew better, my Host was no weakling, though, not by any stretch of the imagination; before I could land another attack from my tail, she leapt, right from the floor, dodging my offense and landing on her feet.

Frustrated, I prepared a swift kick, but she slid right under my thigh and swiped at my legs, sending me toppling while she escape unscathed. Groaning, I tried to stand up, my legs and chest hurt, but that was fine; I would not expect any less of my Host… All that meant is that I needed to more aggressive.

"Yah!" my Host screamed as I felt her jump onto my back. Furiously, I spun around in a circle, twice, building up momentum as she tried to scale my body. I felt her try to maintain her hold around my neck, a finishing move to bring me down, I felt, but it was already too late. Abruptly, I stopped spinning, sending her flying into a wall with a satisfying thump.

I approached her, a smile dawning on face. "Looks like I win," I shouted at her, feeling secure in my victory. To me, she appeared defeated, her back against the wall and with me in a position of such dominance, there was little she could do against me in such a disadvantageous position and we both knew it. On top of that, she looked somewhat winded, the breath likely forced out of her in my blow…

But then Astrid smirked and suddenly I felt less sure. With her free hand, she touched me and pulled my… hand into view.

Shocked, I reached over my head and pulled the long red locks of hair into my veiw, My scales were gone, replaced my smooth and fair skin, my wings in particular had transformed into hands… It took me a moment to realize that I had become human sometime during the fight, but how? Immediately, I reach to the area by my neck, feeling the familiar, cold metal of an amulet against my neck. She must have put it on me when I tried to shake her off or something.

Before I could remove the amulet, my Host charged. In response, I tried to swipe my host again with my nonexistent tail, only to feel like an idiot for trying that stunt again. Soon, I found myself grabbed by the arm and lifted into the air. The image of one of the human siege towers, the ones with their catapults, entered my mind, the moment I realized something important; I was like a stone being cast from those weapons.

I hit the ground, in the flash, suddenly feeling the hurt creep through my body.

Astrid stood right over me, one boot over my chest. "No, it looks like I win," my Host said with a smirk.

And that was when I knew I was defeated. I dropped whatever struggling or plans of escape I had, for it was her victory. "Fine, just let me take this thing off," I said, tugging at the necklace around my neck.

"No way," she said. "I'm not letting you get into this position aga… Hey Dad," she changed mid sentence.

Over by the door I found my Host's father, a traditional male, by their standards. "Young lady, this is a proper house hold, not a hostile wilderness!" he yelled at us.

"It was only a game," I said, feeling the answer should have been obvious. Really, I am astonished by how soft Viking youths liked to play it. Among my Kin, the use of teeth, body slams, and fire was considered a energetic and playful. For all these humans pride themselves on their valor and martial skill, they hardly teach their own children how to draw blood or how to lick their wounds.

"That's not what he's upset about," said my Host as she walked over to my back pack… and pulled out my some clothes. Oh, right, I forgot. I was a dragon not a minute ago. Yeah, on second thought, my Host's family let her have lethal weaponry when she was up to my knee, I doubted they coddled her. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll get her changed, right now."

"You better," said her father. "Honestly, sometimes, I think you might be a bad influence on my daughter…" I disagreed, feeling that his daughter was even worse on _me. _Though_,_ I did not voice it though other than a grunt.

My Host pulled me up and then we headed straight for her room. "You know, you could just let me turn back," I said once I felt we were out of ear shot from the elder man. Kin did not need clothing, neither for warmth nor for modesty, so it would have just been simpler for me to change bodies rather than to change clothes… though, I will admit to liking the touch of silk again my smooth neck.

"And let you get out of training? That's not happening," stated flatly. I grunted in response, my back still hurt after all and I did not recover as quickly my Host did. Still, she was persistent, I will give her that. "Besides it might come in handy, especially once Camicazi arranges for us to hunt down Alvin…"

Once she said that horrid creature's name, I stopped right in my tracks. Suddenly, I felt far more willing to subject myself to her tutoring, maybe even in the dirt. "Well, why didn't you say so?"

She merely shrugged, "Because I thought you already knew that…So are you coming or not?"

Nodding my head, I stepped forward, alongside my Host and my new teacher. Before, I had very little but then I had my Flight, the Knighthood, the opportunity that I craved for so long. Now that it is lost, all I had left was a burning hatred.

* * *

As a bard, I had spent as much of my life understanding and memorizing songs, even crafting my own to preserve knowledge, to remember the stories and legends of my Kin. While I learned that Vikings did have their own bards, their own traditions of song, that was not their only way to remember. Writing, literature, reading, each mean different things, but all were all parts of a method, a system, one which knowledge can be preserved and passed on without bards, without sound.

Humming to myself, I put my hand against the rune inscribed paper before me. The paper was hard, somewhat abrasive, with a very clear and defined physical form. I could pick it up, hold it in my hands, and manipulate it to my desires. Whatever was on it, though, was beyond my grasp; I could not comprehend it, nor could I feel it.

Even after all this time, I still only have barest understand what _he_ sees in these things. To me, each is a pattern of lines, strange symbols that held no special meaning, no sound. But to him, each is a font of knowledge, one that sprung up in abundance. I've tried to learn it a little, yet the understanding I sought still eluded me.

I know that alone, each line was virtually meaningless, as abstract to any Viking as they were to me or my Kin. I knew that by combining the lines, placing them in certain pattern, they could form a rune, a symbol that represented a specific sound and that by combining certain runes together in the right order they formed other sounds, specific tones, or even whole words if enough runes were used. In many ways, this was practically the same as how speech works, how combinations of sounds are joined together to produce something greater. That much was easy enough to grasp after spending some time, talking to _him._

And yet, I was still lacking. Though I had learned the theory, my understanding of the execution was poor; I still did not know enough about the sounds that each rune represented, let alone what whole collections of them even mean. At best, I had a vocabulary of maybe…five words because of that. And even then, I doubted that learning more would make up for the inherent lack of tone, of volume, of _meaning_.

As a bard, my duty was more than simply keeping knowledge, I also had to hang on to the spirit of that knowledge, the feeling, the emotions it held. I could not see the sheet of paper I held in my hands hold on to that. And yet, he still valued them…

It was a shame though, I felt that if he saw things from my perspective, no, listened to the songs of my Kin, he would understand my point. But alas, that might never come to pass, my cries in my true form are as unintelligible to him as I find the words I held in my hand. Really, it's the only reason I bother at all staying in this form, away from my rough hide and functional wings; I had no other means of communicating with him directly, otherwise. Maybe if I am fortunate, that might change.

"Meatlug, I'm home!" I heard. It was him. Fishlegs had returned, it was his house, his den, after all.

I simply turned my gaze to behind me, finding him enter the door of his house, a smile on his face. I could tell he was happy to see me, as much as I was; I returned his grin with one of my own. "How was your day?" I asked. Looking behind him, I could see that night had fallen, just a bit before supper time.

"Oh, not much. Just some more checkups," said Fishlegs. "Oh, and Roland broke his house down."

I froze, worried, but at the same time curious. "Really?"

"Yeah, sneezed it down," said the male.

"Is he hurt?" I asked… Though a Thunderdrum might appear big and durable, I doubted many would unharmed from a collapsing building.

"Oh, he's fine. Sneezed just right outside his house when coming back from lunch." Fishlegs replied. "Chief's put an order to give him some replacement housing.

I nodded, well, false Kin or not, it was good to hear that the Thunderdrum was safe. In fact, I found myself giggling a little, find no reason to worry. While his den was gone, there was just something humorous about knowing that it was demolished by a mere sneeze.

"So, what have you been up to?" Fishlegs asked me.

Quietly, I put away the paper I held in my hands away, it was unimportant. "Oh, nothing much," I said, being honest. "Still trying to figure out how to translate some of those words you gave me." I felt a little wrong for trying to come up with new words in my native tongue, to twist it and modify it to my needs, but it was necessary all the same. When I first met Fishlegs and his friends, I noticed the vast gulf of things my Kin lacked words to describe. While things like 'house' can be described accurated by using same phrases for 'den' or 'lair' and come off as easily understood, yet words like 'nails', 'coins', and even 'chairs' had no equivalent until I started coming up with terms to describe them. Without taking time to create a standard, a set of predetermined collection of sounds to stand in for these things, communication amongst the false Kin and eventually the true Kin would be difficult and problematic.

I will admit this task is especially difficult, even though as a bard, I had a wider access and knowledge of calls than most other Kin would have. Though, I will admit, this had been the most I had ever used my training as a bard in the past few months, my duties and role as a Squire not leaving me much time for anything else. Still, a master, someone dedicated to understanding sounds and words would have had an easier time cobbling up something together… It's especially hard because I keep forgetting the new words I make up without some way of easily remembering them.

"Oh, well, I suppose that's fine, there's no rush since we've got most of the common, more often used things out of the way anyways... I don't think many Vikings worry about the variety of words to describe the bones in a leg anyways, so I don't think it'll be that big of a deal." Fishlegs commented, before moving into the kitchen. "Besides, we've got supper to worry about."

I nodded; yes, food was far more important than worrying about than words no one will ever use. Now, that I noticed it, Fishlegs did have a heavy sack draped over his back; likely what humans called 'groceries'. "So what is for dinner?" I asked.

Fishlegs began unpacking the back, an assortment of various vegetables gradually piling on the kitchen table. "Oh, just some soup before Mom and Dad show up," he said.

I went over to the collection of celery and cabbages, feeling a small pang of hunger come over me. I could feel my mouth watering a little as I stood by the carrot. "There's quite a lot of vegetables," I commented. And now that I thought about it, for all of the things Fishlegs brought, there was something missing. "You did not appear to bring any meat," I commented, not that I was feeling particularly upset about the lack of chicken, fish, or yak.

"No, not every soup needs meat, after all," replied Fishlegs. "Besides, well, you do like your vegetables. In fact, I think you might be a bit of a vegetarian as human."

I smirked, so he noticed that. I suppose it's a habit that I developed when I first assumed human form. For some reason, I tended to dislike meat and perfer vegetation. I suppose it might be because as a dragon, I ate meat at every meal, yet as a human, I had the chance to try something new. It might also explain why Toothless enjoys his breads and cheeses as well as his sea foods. Among one other Kin I had heard about… which gave an interesting idea. "So I suppose that makes me like Forest's Doom," I commented, knowing he wouldn't understand the reference one bit.

"Excuse me," said Fishlegs, stopping in between chopping the onions.

I smirked, "Oh, nothing, just this one story I heard of a Timberjack who ate any trees nearby him, so much so that the forest he lived in became a barren wasteland."

"But… Timberjacks don't eat trees," replied Fishlegs, utterly confused and missing the point of what I had said.

"And neither do Gronckles eat vegetables," I told him, though admittedly, I had a hard time taking that story seriously myself. Granted, sometimes I had a hard time believing some of the stories I learned.

Squinting, I could tell Fishlegs had caught on by now. "So, is he anything like Hati?"

"Who?"

"The wolf that'll one day eat the Moon or already ate it." Fishlegs explained. I frowned, still not getting it. "You know, one of Fenrir's sons?"

I nodded, vaguely remembering Fishlegs explain something about an utterly massive wolf with jaws that defied reason. Surely though, such a creature cannot possibly exist? I mean, my King does and while he might be huge, a creature with jaws that reached the sky sounded impossible. Besides, he sounded like some other Kin I heard about. "Well, if he's going he'll have to eat it before Chilling Heart does."

"What did he do again?" asked Fishlegs. I told him about this story a while ago, but it appears he had not remembered it completely.

"Ages ago, some say one of my Kin once proclaimed himself to be the most beautiful thing in the world," I said. "Up until someone said that the Moon was more beautiful. Thus began an endless quest to try to devour the Moon to take its beauty for his own. He began trying to fly higher and higher, with each attempt, he rose ever closer to his goal. Eventually though, he started to grow old, losing the beauty of his youth. When that happened, such was his vanity that he trapped himself in ice, to preserve his beauty for all time. Yet, that is not the end, some say that our King promised him a return to splendor, so that he might complete his quest when the ice thaws, renewed in both strength and appearance." It was long winded, and ultimately toneless without accompanying song, but this was a game of storytelling, one that we both had extensive knowledge to draw from.

Fishlegs hummed a little, appearing to be deep in thought. I could tell that my story had definitely given him something to wonder about. "Let me guess, most dragon think he's a Nadder?"

I smirked. "Well, if you ask Stormfly or any other Nadder Kin, they'll say that Chilling Heart was a unique Breed and that he claimed his beauty due to his unique appearance." Honestly, I did believe he was Nadder, the vanity of that Breed was sometimes a legend unto itself.

"Alright," muttered Fishlegs, thinking to himself with a faint smile. Now, it was his turn to top my story. The game had simple, unspoken rules; all one must do was pick a story, any story, it did not have to be short or long and simply speak it to the other. There was no victory condition, only the joy of sharing a story. While the early entries were only a sentence or so long, I had just upped the stakes. "So, how 'bout," he said. "Gobber told me this story one time, yet I have a hard time believing it."

"Go on," I said approving. Granted, if Fishlegs could not manage to top that spiel I made, I don't think I would think any less of him.

"So it starts with Gobber as a boy, about our age…" Fishlegs began. He relayed a short tale of Vikings entombed in ice and how Gobber, the forgemaster for Toothless and Hiccup found some sort of treasure and about how he was pursued by a Bonenapper, one of the more… unqiue Breeds. Then the story moved on to Gobber, slightly older and down a limb or two, on an island surrounded by hammerhead shark then being chased by the same Bonenapper. I had to admit Fishlegs did have some talent at storytelling, adding some facts, little details about sharks that I did not know about like the fact they had no bones except for their jaws… But what really surprised me was the next creature to show up in this story.

"Wait, there's a hammerhead whale?" I asked once we had reach that point.

"I know, that's where the story starts getting hard to believe," Fishlegs replied. I could only nod in agreement, yes, I agreed, this story was hard to believe… because I think I heard it happen before.

The story continued, where Gobber was now in a juggle of some sort, followed by the Bonenapper again up a volcano and then a hammer _yak_ burst from the volcano. Now I was getting really confused.

"A yak, really?"

"Yeah," said Fishlegs, "And it gets crazier!"

"Let me guess," I stated, feeling that I might want to confirm my suspicions here and now, because I still had a hard time believing what I was hearing. "Hammerhead yak on a hammerhead whale coming from a bolt of lightning in the ground?"

"Wait, you know that?"

"Only because I heard this story happen before… from the Bonenapper." I muttered, though technically, I did not actually hear the story from the Bonenapper himself, since he could barely speak, because he was missing an important piece of his armor that allowed him to properly vocalize. Because of how unusual his tale was, it had become the task of the bards to remember it in the event he perished, piecing his story together from the his barely audible cries.

Fishlegs appeared much the same way I did, shocked and unbelieving. What were the chances we both knew the same story but from completely different points of veiw? Granted, in the original story I had heard little about humans, other than how the Bonenapper had been pursuing a thief for decades; I most remember it for the impossible 'hammerhead' creatures that pop up every now and again in the tale; it was simply bizarre to find them, here of all places, showing up in the exact same order in the exact same conditions. I'll even wager that if Fishlegs and I continued, we'd find more matching 'hammerheads' coming in utterly bizarre circumstances. "I don't know what I find more crazy, the fact that Bonenappers exist or that Gobber's story might actually be true…" mumbled Fishlegs.

"Well, weirder things have happened… You are talking to a Gronckle, right?" I said sheepishly.

We both stared each other in the eyes; he had such nice blue ones. We were both silently trying to under the full extent of the implications of the tale… And then, suddenly, we both burst out laughing, realizing just how crazy the story was. I mean, really a man in the clouds summoning forth a yak and whale from the ground? Sure, why not at this stage? Men and dragons can change form, why can't men summoning impossible creatures from lightning?

Fishlegs, still chuckling, poured some chopped vegetables into boiling water. "You know, maybe Gobber and the Bonenapper mad up the story."

"Maybe," I agreed, little fits and hiccups of laughter escaping my lips. I started helping at this point, peeling away some at some cabbage. "Though, how'd they get together to plan that out if they can't undertand each other?"

"The same way the twins can talk to Barf and Belch!" he suggested, clearly not being serious about it. At least, I hope he was not.

"I'm honestly surprised they never brought up the hammerhead falcon," I replied. "Almost as bad as the lack of actually hammers…"

The rest of the evening was spent with the two of us merely adding on impossible event after impossible creature to the story, trying to figure out how that tale could have actually happened or what kind of circumstances could my Kin have collaborated with a blacksmith. We both had fun at it, though eventually we had to stop once Fishlegs's parents arrived and dinner. It was silly and nonsensical, but neither of us really minded; even bards are not above spinning tales for the sake of creating one.

As I went to bed that night, by the floor of Fishlegs's bedside, I was thinking just how far I had come, about how _my story_ has unfolded.

Originally, I had spent much of my life under the assumption that I would be focusing my studies on listening and telling the stories of other Kin, never once imagining that I would ever be a Squire or ever something other than a Gronckle. Yet, now here I am, a Squire whose Flight is destroyed and gone and a _girl_, a human girl, not a female among my Kin. Sometimes, I wonder if sometime in the distant future, would a bard of my Kin believe the life I had lived? I was just having a hard time believing my own experiences.

Though the humans have stories about men becoming beasts, there were none such tales among my kind. I don't think I have ever heard of anything about Kin becoming non-Kin, so I have no idea what to expect or any inkling of how I am supposed to act. When this is all said and done, will I return home without Fishlegs? Will I stay here with him? What of my other Kin, would they choose the same fate?

Well, my story was not finished yet. I only had one way to find out.

* * *

**As to the identity of the guy that Meatlug and Stormfly talk about, I'll be bringing it up next sidestory time.**

**For the record, dragons are not neccesarily naturally more violent. I am basing the idea that for them, since they have natural weapons built in, they likely have playfighting development similar to dogs and cat. And let me tell you, they can get really aggressive.**

**Interestingly in the books, Fishlegs's lack of parents is something of an oddity. Technically, he does have them, but does not… have them. It's a spoiler for some, but for those who know what I am talking about, you know what I mean. The fact he has both might or might not be significant to you, for those who know of book Fishlegs.**

**Also, Meatlugs being a bit of a vegetarian is a small reference to Horror-Cow, Fish's book hunting dragon.**

**For the record, term 'hammerhead' is called something else in 'Dragonese' and the only reason it's written as such is due to translation conventions.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. **

**And now, we return to our regularly scheduled program. **

**So, just watched the second movie. While I'm not going to spoil, I did end up finding quite a bit of stuff having some really serious implications in this story. Most of which could add quite a bit of subtext. Not going to say the second movie will be happening, as yet another sequel, but it does pique a few thoughts.**

**Oddly enough, I seem to be getting in the habit of making lots of words and posting the chapter every six days from when the previous was posted.**

* * *

My head hurt, like someone had hit my axe with a head and split it in two. My pain was wracked with heads, no, that wasn't right; _my head_ was wracked _with pain_, not the other way around. Moreover while my head had a splitting headache, my body felt… numb, like it was barely even there. I hadn't felt this bad in months, not since, I drank that…urgh. Where was I? Had something happen to me? Why was I like this?

I needed to know. My eyes stung, blurry and weak, were unable to see anything beyond the mass of vague shapes and glowing lights in front of me. My ears could faintly hear voices, sounds around me, but they were weak, like I was hearing only a distant echo from a mountainside over. Yet, I got the distinct impression they were… doing something to me. Were these my tormentors?

No, I had to get away from them; I can't let them get me! I… struggled, lifting my unseen, but still functioning arms to stop them. I could feel them push away against my oppressors hands, stopping them from harming me. I held them back from the meantime, but that was not enough, I had flee.

I rolled onto my stomach and found myself falling onto what could only have been a hard floor. Surprisingly, it did not hurt as much as I thought it did, so maybe I had the chance to flee before anything worse could happen. With as much force I had, I tried to get up and run. But the moment I tried to move my left leg, a surge of intense pain ran through my body, paralyzing me. Just what did my captors do to me to cause me such pain?

I could hear them giving vague, distorted cries and shouts, all of them loudly dealing, but no more understandable. Suddenly, I could feel the force several of hands grabbing onto me, pinning every part of me to the cold stone floor in the most uncomfortable and restrictive manner possible. I tried to struggle, but what strength I had was useless, accomplishing nothing.

What did they want with me? What did they have to gain from taking me? I was scared and I tried to cry out. Where was my brother? Where was Hiccup?

Then I felt was the touch of warm, smoothen scale gently rubbed back and forth over my check. I…stopped struggling.

…And then my leg burned with an indescribable pain, one that was beyond anything I had anything I had ever imagined. It was like all of the aches of my body, past and present, suddenly came up again, all just to ravage an area the size of pinprick. I screamed and shouted, the only thing I knew to do. Was this what my captors wanted?

And then, I was… fine. The pain in my leg stopped, the throbbing in my head disappeared. My sense were returned to me, with eyes able to the fading lights of campfires glowing in contrast to the night sky and my ears could listen to the sound of waves crashing against a sandy beach. I was glad my ordeal was over, happy to just be in a world where I was not so heavily impaired or at the mercy of those cruel, cruel… things.

Yet, I knew something was strange about my current surroundings. I was standing aboard some sort of longship, practically alone, not lying on the cold, stone floor at the feet of those who did … whatever they did to me. How exactly did I get here? And why suddenly start feeling better for that matter? Headaches and incredible pain do not just suddenly disappear… at least, not without explanation.

And then, I heard the sound of a roar coming from beneath the deck, a Nadder's, if I remembered correctly. I… needed to get to the source of the noise, I might not be a dragon, but that did not mean I could just leave them to their fates. Finding, an open hatch and a set of stairs, I rapidly climbed downward.

Well, I could confirm finding the Nadder that made the roar. he, for I was fairly sure he was a he, ran around the room like some sort of headless chicken. For a moment, I thought I was going to be run over by the frightened dragon, but I felt pretty lucky when, somehow, the dragon went right past me, not turning me into a smear on the deck. This happened again and again, until I wised up and decided to hide away from the franctic circles… I also decided not to hide behind anything taller than me once I barely dodged falling pile of solid, golden cup. How that much gold got down here, I did not even know.

Yet, the dragon and I were not alone.

Across the other side of the barely lit hold, I saw a woman her back against a few crates.

Her features were fair, more so than the majority of Berk residents I met, almost as if she was a step above the rest. Where others were tall and broad, she was lean and compact. Her hair was some sort of brown, something very reminiscent, yet I could not recall , for all of this, I could feel from her a sort of power, a sort of strength, that… felt familiar to me. It was like I knew that even though she looked like some sort of beautiful maiden, she was not the sort of person to be trifled with. I just knew that she, like me, was hiding from the Nadder's out of control rampage, but unlike me, she was _not afraid, _instead one could argue, the _Nadder _was afraid of _her_.

She stepped out of the darkness the moment the frightened dragon threatened to run her over. "Stand back!" I heard her shout, a sword drawn and ready to strike if the Nadder if need be. The Nadder immediately complied, backing away a few steps, exhausted and tired from all the running. The woman stepped forward, sword still pointed at the Nadder, forcing the dragon back into a corner… "Now, I'm not going to hurt you, but… if I find out you did something to my crewmate, you're going to regret it…"

I saw the Nadder open his mouth to speak, yet all I could hear were a few unintelligible sounds. Which was odd, I had been a dragon since birth, I knew the language and I understood it perfectly in human form… Yet, even though the Nadder's speech felt familiar to me, they sounded little different from animal noises. Was this how humans hear what dragons say? Why was I suddenly unable to understand dragons? Did I… really change that much?

Shifting directions, the woman then started pushing the dragon towards the ladder that lead to the top deck, she wanted him gone, not dead. "Okay, look, I don't want any trouble… I just need you to leave so I can find my missing crew…" she said.

The Nadder tried to call again, making a loud shriek of what could only have been refusal.

The woman was starting to get frustrated and I could see her prepare to lunge at the dragon. I wanted to leap in, to get in between the two of them, but I suddenly felt somebody slam into me before I could stand, sending me to the floor. In that brief instant, I saw the woman's lunge miss entirely as the dragon quickly backed away, with everyone _knowing _that the woman could have ended it right then and there if she wanted it. "Go, leave!" she shouted... and the Nadder climbed out of the hold and left. Just…who was this woman?

And just as important as that, who was lying right on top of me? "Get off!" I shouted, trying to push the person who knocked me down. Whoever he was, he wasn't all that heavy, but he was certainly a little heavier than me… I'm also a little surprised that the woman was not paying any attention to my shout or was not wondering about the loud thump that came from somewhere nearby, but I had plenty of time. As the complete stranger's weight left me, I turned myself around to see… that he was not a complete stranger.

It had been a long time since I seen my brother in a more human form, so much so that, I had grown used to seeing him as the large, scaly brother who towered over me and was large enough to act as a bed if he so desired. He was my 'big' brother after all and it was just easier to think of him like that. And yet I could see Hiccup, entirely human. "Hiccup?" I said, awestruck. "What are you doing here? And why are you… like that?"

"Well, I could ask you the same thing, but I kind of already know how you got here, so…" said my brother, not making any sense.

"Hiccup…" I scowled.

"Sorry, bud," frowned my brother. "I just thought it'd be the easiest way to make sure you were alive..."

Wait, what? Did I die? Now that I thought about it, I did get hurt, didn't I? "Hiccup, what are you talking about?"

"After you fell, Thuggory and I had some healers work on you, to get the bleeding on your leg to stop…." My brother's tone started to get a little more dour, a frown emerging on his face. "But, well, sometimes, the healing itself killed people…" Stunned, I thought back to what had happened before I arrived on this ship. I was in great pain and utter confusion, afraid at those who were around me had some sort of plan to do horrible things to me; now my brother said they what they were doing was to heal me...

"How bad is it?" I asked, recalling that the Whispering Death left a spine in my leg. Just what kind of healing required someone to endure such searing pain? And why was my brother afraid of me dying after being 'treated'?

"Well, they aren't cutting the leg off, but you're probably going to be having problems walking for a while," said my brother, much to my relief. I know that losing a limb as a result of fighting in considered a mark of honor, but I'm still not too keen to losing a leg if I can avoid it… Maybe if I wasn't allowed to walk for a month and if I thought the replacement was good enough, I could accept losing a limb, but right now, I am very attached to my body parts.

"So, I guess, I won't get any souvenirs," I said, now feeling good enough to joke about that.

"Well, I didn't get to keep mine, so it's only fair," muttered my brother, a small grin on his face.

"And what happened after that?"

"Well, I had you lay down next to me, thinking that maybe I could see if you were okay," my brother explained. Oh, so this was another dream. It happened infrequently, but sometimes if my brother and I were in close proximity to one another while asleep, we sometimes ended up sharing the same dream… Neither of us had any real control over it and sometimes, it was kind of embarrassing, but it happened and the two of us got used to it… This was just the first time it was actually, deliberately invoked for something really important. Still, that more or less explained Hiccup's odd appearance...

Which begged the question, if this was a dream, then what kind of dream was it? "So where are we?" Standing up, I also pointed at the woman. "And who is she?"

Hiccup looked at me for a moment, cringing. "Do you really want to know who she is?"

"Just tell me," I stated wearily. I mean, what's the worst it could be?

"Okay," conceeded my brother, before pointing off in the woman's direction. "That's Mom and this is her another of her memories." I think I just felt my heart stop beating for a split second. That woman… was Mother? This was what she looked like when she was human? Now that I thought about it, she closely resembled my brother. That also explained the… aura she had about her, an air about her that resembled the air of control and authority I had grown up with. How could I have missed something like that?

I knew that Hiccup thought Mom might have used some of her memories to create a sort of… set for my brother while he was under her 'care', but I never really believed it, nor did I think among those memories would be things from before her…change. "Is that really, her?" I said sheepishly. My brother nodded.

I looked back the woman, at Mom. She choose not to kill or injure the Nadder, even though she easily could have. Instead, she just drove it away, apparently concerned for the safety of someone else. I would have expected her to at least leave a mark or spill a little blood… This was _nothing at all _like I expected of her; has life really been that harsh for her?

Mother looked through a pile of shredded cloth of some sort, rummaging through them to find something, a clue perhaps of that apparently missing crew member of hers. I had an inkling suspicion that she was looking for clues in the wrong place; those clothes of did not look like there was any blood spilled...

"Captain!" my brother and I heard coming from the top deck. Two men climb downward, both looking weary but their weapons were drawn. "We heard fighting!" said one of the men.

"A Nadder got into the hold, but has now been left" said Mother.

"A Nadder? Are you injured?" shouted the other man.

"I'm fine, but we have a more pressing matter to attend to." Mother then held up the torn clothing belong to her missing crewman. "One of our own is missing."

"That dragon must have gotten Mop-Head and eaten him up!" said the other man. "We'll organize a party to hunt it down at your order!"

"Do not bother, Donnar," said my mother as she began walking out of the deck. "I don't think the dragon is to blame for our disappearance…"Hiccup and I, followed her, both of us curious as to what was happening. We practically invisible to the others, one of the weird quirks of our dreams is that if it's a memory, if we were not there originally, then we might as well not be there at all.

The man, apparently, named Donnar seemed to take offense at that. "Captain, I know you've been talking about there's more to the beasties, but do you really think that one of them would just leave an easy meal like that lying around?"

"There were no bones or blood," replied mother, a slight frown on her face. "Dragons don't eat that cleanly…"

"All I'm saying, Captain, is that well, if one of those beasts ever crawled into your son's room during a raid…" Mother just scowled something fierce, prompting Donnar to stop talking. For a moment, I sighed with relief, well, I guess she isn't all _that _ different, right? Though, I will admit, most dragons on hunts aren't exactly the nicest bunch around…

Oddly enough, Hiccup seemed to take the possibility meeting a dragon as a babe a little better than I thought he would. "I don't know, I'm thinking it would have played with me… or taken me back to its nest because he thinks he was taking me home."

Mother then leapt off the boat and approached a large crowd of men and women. Most of them somewhat weary and exhausted, probably not expecting to wake at this hour, but all of them stood ready, gathered by the smoldering remnants of campfires. All told, there appeared to be a few dozen of them… "We're missing a man!" shouted mother. "Mop-Head has gone missing and I want teams searching the beach to find him!"

What began was a tedious and complicated affair with the gathered Vikings, each discussing plans and stratagems for organizing a search to find their lost friend. For every plan and every man who wanted to take charge, there was always a counterpoint and another leader requesting to enact it; all the while, a small minority advocated waiting for day before finding their lost crewman. For a moment, I was almost mesmerized, recalling the few times I had once sat in for any of my Mother's meetings way back when. I had been a fledgling then, only taken along because Mother did not trust others to care for me, but the resemblances are uncanny. "This is too weird…" I said.

"Tell me about it," added Hiccup. "Last time I got caught up in this dream, I _was_ _her_…"

Almost on reflex, I cringed. Yeah, that definitely topped what I was seeing. "Alright, you win that one…"

"Gee, I'm really glad to score another point…" he replied.

The planning seemed to go on for what seemed like an eternity yet seemed to fit in within the blink of an eye at the same time. Half of the sailors went off, searching the interior of the island while the others remained behind, looking for their lost crewman by the campsite.

Mother oversaw the search of the campsite, followed directly by Donnar and a few other men. Hiccup and I followed them, but never too close, an odd feeling of foreboding warning us otherwise. Neither of us were really sure how long it had been, but Vikings had already gone over searching the whole of the ship a dozen times, finding no clues leading the missing man. "Captain, I've been thinking, don't you think it's a little weird that Mop-Head left behind his clothes, of all things?"

"He isn't exactly known for his cleanliness," commented another man.

"But tearing up his clothes and going naked? In this weather?" asked Donnar.

"Yes, it is strange…" agreed Mother. I saw her approach a table, one littered with the remains of her lost crew member. "All that's left of him are on this table, the clothes on his back and the treasures he took for himself."

"You mean the sword hilt he's been bragging about?" asked Donnar, approaching the table. Now that it was pointed out, I noticed there was a very ornate looking hilt for a sword sitting atop a pile. guard seemed simple, but was made of solid gold. The grip appeared to be made of blackened leather, studded by and kept together by gold. Lastly, on the pommel sat a ruby, one that gave off some sort of fascinating allure I could not describe. Though it lacked a blade, it was, for all intents and purposes, a masterwork, the sort of thing that I could only dream about touching, let alone creating.

"You know…" commented another man, "Now that I think about it, he had been acting kinda odd ever since he picked it up…"

"Odd?" questioned my mother. My brother and I, too, took notice. Odd things seem to happen to us quite a bit. "What do you mean by odd?"

"You know how he went back in the cave to decide what he wanted to take home while the rest of us were having supper? Well, he never came back until I found him lying off in some corner," explained the man. "Said he's been having aches and pains all over and rambling about being burned for a few minutes there before I knocked some sense in to him… " That was definitely odd… and disturbingly familiar. Then again, I lived in a world where people end up getting burned all the time.

Mother, her curiosity clearly piqued, went over to the golden sword hilt. "You mean to tell me that this might have a sort of connection to our missing crewman?"

"All's I know is that he gots it after I found him…" said the man. "Can't blame him, it looks real pretty."

"Yes, it does look facinating… doesn't it?" Mother's hand then slowly approached the gem, seemingly drawn to it… I might have probably decided to touch it for myself.

And then fire erupted from the hilt. In all directions, wailing tendrils of flame wrapped around the Vikings, engulfing them completely… and my brother and I were not that far behind. For a moment, I was expected, to wither away and become nothing but charred ash; I certainly felt like I was. Yet, I saw that no matter how much the fire consumed me, no matter how much it seared my flesh, I was not… dying. We were all burned alive, but not being burned. I could hear my brother scream out and cry in agony, drowned out only by the noise I myself gave out.

I… don't know how long it was after that. I opened my eyes, noticing that the sky had turned somewhat brighter, maybe sometime nearing dawn. It must have been a few hours since the last time. Before me was my brother, a Night Fury once more. "Hiccup?" I croaked. I noticed my voice was deeper now and that my hands were a little blacker, thicker than I remembered them being… I was a Night Fury again, but how?

My brother stirred, pulling himself off from where he laid… odd enough, he didn't seem all too worried, if anything , he seemed somewhat annoyed. "Great, more fire turning me into a dragon, again, just what I wanted," he commented.

"What happened?" I said, wearily. I tried standing up, my body aching a little. It felt awkward to say the least to put myself on all fours again after so long relying on two legs, but I was able to manage.

"Oh, nothing, just a little reminder that not even my dreams are safe," muttered my brother, whatever that meant.

Shaking my head, not wanting to go learn what my brother was rambling about, I decided to go check on my mother. I turned myself into the direction of where she and the other Vikings were… last night? Or maybe it was a moment ago? Dream time, might not be like normal time.

I could not immediately find her though, but I did end up seeing other dragons, all of them wailing and whining something over something. One of the Nadders I saw had a problem controlling his nose, constantly bending over to sniff at a nearby Gronckle like it was some sort of obsession. That Gronckle meanwhile kept trying to bite the Nadder away, huddled in a corner and weeping to herself. A nearby Nightmare was constantly setting fire to everything every time he so much as opened his mouth, only countered by a scauldron _closing his_. And that was nothing compared to the Zippleback that couldn't tell left from right. It only took me a second to realize the dragons must have been my Mother's former crew, transfigured into dragons the same way my brother and I just had.

I decided to back away from, not really wanting to see too much of their suffering. I don't think I could see too much more without breaking, but instead, I found myself looking straight into a very familiar looking eye, one that I distinctly remember shooting out.

"I can't see!" cried out its bearer a, no, _the_ Whispering Death. I jumped back, in startled surprise, not really expecting to find him here of all places. He thrashed and writhed in chaotic spasms, unable to control his own movements in any way. He hit himself on the head, smacking his head into floor repeatedly. "Help me! Help me!"

And that was when a Night Fury, my Mother, appeared before the Whispering Death. While her motions were awkward and somewhat poorly coordinately, she was the only dragon who had any real control over her new body. She took charge, leading by example. "Calm down, everyone! Calm down." The dragons all focused in on my mother, their pain, suffering, and confusion almost vanishing at her command… for all but one. "You, too, settle down," she said to the last one.

"Captain, is that you?" cried the Whispering Death as he continually injured himself. Now, I know that young Whispering Deaths had an issue with controlling themselves, often to the point of being considered more dangerous as infants than they were as adults… but this was just sad. The Whispering Death appeared to be trying to do himself in by either alternating between _eating himself _or hitting himself until he split his head open. _This_ was the creature I had been so scared of for so long? I… Did I really need to take his eye from him, when he already lost so much?

"Yes, it is I," said the Night Fury. "You're not alone, we're here for you." I saw the Whispering Death's body go limp for a moment, giving up on doing anything more complicated than breathing.

"… It's like I'm blind!" cried the downed dragon.

"What happened to us?" asked another.

"I don't know," said my Mother. "But whatever happens, we have to stick together. We'll also need to let the others know what had happened…"

Hiccup approached me, bringing with him a question, "Does this remind you of anything?"

I nodded. Now, this memory finally made sense. This was the memory where my Mother had been transformed, and I along with her. Moreover, I learned that she was transformed by a very method similar to the one Alvin used on Berk; was there a connection between them? I mean, they were so similar, from what I could tell. If this was true, did that mean that if I learned how to cure all of Berk, would I… be able to take her home? But if that was the case, why did using the arrows work for me but not Roland?

"Captain! I see somebody!" I heard one of the transformed sailors shout.

"It's the others!" shouted another one. Listening to them, my brother and I turned our attention to where the new dragons pointed at.

And sure enough, over on the horizon, I saw a group of Vikings, the rest of my mother's crew arriving back from their search. On closer inspection though, I noticed what appeared to be a dragon's head behind held up on a spear. More specifically, it used to belong to a Nadder. They found their lost crewman.

I turned to my brother, who cringed at the sight of the newcomers. I think we both knew how this was going to end and I did not want to watch. "Can we wake up now?"

* * *

I blinked my eyes awake, realizing dimly how exhausted I felt. Isn't the whole point of resting relieve exhaustion, not add more? Now, I felt like I had been mauled by the Whispering Death as I slept, because at this point, I wouldn't put it past the gods. Maybe I should not have been so anxious to see if Toothless was… Realizing that I had to make sure my little brother was well, I immediately checked on him, his stirring form under my wing; he, too, was waking up.

"Can we not do that again?" he groaned. Fortunately for us, the dream had ended just before things could have gotten much worse. We saw a bit of fighting where half of Mom's crew attempted to fight those who were transformed, thinking they were ordinary dragons, but the dream ended mercifully after that.

"Depends on whether or not you get that hurt again," I replied, wryly. We were both on the floor of a mostly empty room, a few mats and clothes separating us from each other.

"Well, you're not a very good bed," he said giving me a little punch to the stomach.

"Oh, really? That's the last time I let you sleep by me," I joked.

He and I locked gazes, a big smirk on faces… well, what passed for a smirk. Then, I licked my brother on the cheek, forcing him to squeal in surprise.

"Hey, stop!" he laughed, gentling pushing my head away. "You know how I feel about that!" I grinned, a small, toothless grin. Of course, I did. I licked him again, receiving a playful slap in return.

Oh, so that's how he wanted to play, huh? Well, this time, I made sure the next lick across his face was full of extra slobber, the kind that doesn't wash out as well.

I used to think it was odd to lick others, but lately, I've come to accept it. It was a fact of life, dragons displayed affection through their tongue and I was fine doing it to others. Besides, no matter how much Toothless protested, the big grin on his face said otherwise.

We continued going at each other a few more times, with Toothless continually denying he enjoyed it and I making sure he did.

We only stopped once we realized someone else was there; Thuggory entered the room, carrying somewhat small storage bin with him. "Uh, am I interrupting something?"

Toothless panicked for a moment, turning away to wipe off the slobber on his face. "Uh, nothing. Nothing at all."

"Oh, uh, that's good then, Toothless." admitted the Meathead Chief. "You gave us a bit of a panic back there, with your leg and all. How is it?"

"Hurting," said Toothless, flexing his leg. "I almost feel like like's going to fall off. Just what did you guys do to me?"

"It's best if you don't know," I commented. I don't exactly have the most faith in Viking medical practices. We treat people with colds using leeches and pour beeswax over the injured, because that's what we knew. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. About the only thing I am glad for Toothless's treatment was that it did not involving stitching his wound closed. Half the time, people I knew tended to be in worse shape after stitching, their wounds suddenly festering despite being mended. So for Toothless, we had to seal it up another way, something _slightly_ _less_ _lethal_ and far more painful… I'm just glad he's alive, glad that I did not let him down..

Thuggory then gave me bit of a smile as he approached. "And Hiccup, wow, you're looking way better already!" The Meathead Heir then began circling examining my scales closely. Eventually, he grabbed onto one of my paws. Oh, I forgot to let him know about that weird quirk of mine. "You even don't have a scratch on you!" Thuggory exclaimed. "Grimmaw just thrashed you yesterday until I thought you'd be a bloody pincushion and you don't even have a scar to prove it happened!"

"Yeah, that's my brother! He can bounce back from everything." Toothless proudly proclaimed… Proud of me... "He even once regrew his legs!"

"Wow," said Thuggory."Maybe you guys could tell me how you're able to do that. Must be really handy."

"I… wouldn't recommend it, there's a nasty downside," muttered Toothless.

"Well, unless you're fine living the rest of your life covered in scales," I said, though I knew chances were that Thuggory would not be understand me, but I had a feel.

"Oh, so that's how it happened," exclaimed the Meathead Heir, understanding. "Being a near invincible dragon or being able to host a sword. Can't say Dad will approve of the first one."

It was one of the weirder things I learned about. When I got the book from Trader Johann so long ago, one of the first things I saw was a potion that would give me the strength I lacked, the chance to finally be somewhere close to what my father thought as an ideal Viking. It did that and more; whenever I was injured badly enough, my wounds would rapidly knit themselves back together and any missing limbs would slowly regrow in a few hours, but at the cost of making me a dragon a bit at a time. Thankfully, at this point, I didn't have to worry about transforming even more and a good deal of the downsides of being a dragon had been partially mitigated. "Well, it's not all bad," I admitted. "I get to do this!" Then I promptly gave another quick lick in my little brother's direction.

"Hey!" Toothless squeaked.

Thuggory burst into a deep belly laugh at the scene, a grin on his face. He took maybe a minute or two to stop laughing completely. "Boy, Hiccup, I have no idea how you manage to do any of this."

"That's fine. I don't either," I said. Toothless decided at this time to go translate for me.

"Uh, so anyways, we haven't seen hide nor tail of Grimmaw since yesterday." said the Meathead Heir, dropping the storage bin near us. Opening it, I saw a small variety of things, mostly letters and assorted pieces of fruit. "Folks are real grateful for your help, especially you got from Alvin a while back."

"Oh, apples! Thank you, Thuggory, I'm starved." said my little brother, sitting up straight.

"No problem. I'm just hoping that what you did got him off my island for good." At this point, Thuggory took a step back and went straight for the door. Before he left, Thuggory turned back to us. "Oh, I almost forgot. I managed to talk Dad into letting you the Hairy Scary Librarian. Just go to the Meathead Public Library and I'll introduce you all." And then, Thuggory was gone.

Toothless took an apple from the bin. He bit it with a satisfied crunch. I would have joined him but these days, my stomach couldn't handle fruits as well as it used to. After he was done with the first piece of fruit, my little brother then took another one, this time, one with a letter attached to it. He slowly read it while he ate.

Looking at the letter from behind him, I could see it was a simple thank you letter, a small short and informal message of praise. It figured that we'd get one of these eventually, I mean, my brother and I did more or less stop the Whispering Death's attacks, and before that, we liberated plenty of captives from Outcast Island, plenty of whom were Meatheads; I just never expected we'd get this many of them. Thankfully, the letter did not seem all too complex, so he didn't need my help to read it for him; hopefully, the rest of the letters were the same. Though, one thing about the letter caught my attention, the letter was addressed to Toothless, specifically.

Curious, I wondered if there were any letters for me. I lifted the bin by my mouth, spilling the entire contents onto the soft mats that had served as my bed. Then, I quickly swept through letters, glancing to who they were addressed to. All of them appeared addressed to me little brother…

"Hey, is something wrong?" asked Toothless.

"Oh, nothing important," I said. Toothless just shrugged, going back to reading the messages he got. Maybe I was getting a head of myself. There were lots of letters and they were all in a disorganized heap of fruit and parchment, most of them had the addresses facing down and I was just looking at some of one Toothless got. If Fishlegs were here, he'd be telling me all about statistics and how things like shaking the bin could adversely affect it; it was just only a coincidence that I was not finding anything meant for me.

Besides, it's not like I should be worried about something like that. I've had plenty of mail before, usually complaints about me knocking someone out or giving out black eyes. It's not like I _needed_ anything more from the Meatheads and it's not like I really _deserved_ anyone's approval… though, I'll admit it would be nice to have someone like Toothless cheering me on. I might as well just look around, see if I can get any of the ones meant for me. Using my paw, I dragged one of the letters into view, knocking away anything in the way.

_Dear Heir of the Hooligan Tribe, _it read. See, you were just imagine things, Hiccup. I mean, sure they don't know you name, but you can't expect everyone to know who you are. _My family and I would like to thank you for your help in defeating the Whispering Death Grimmaw. When we heard that you shot that foul beast in the eye…_ Wait, that's not right, but there it was. The letter went on and on, referring to Toothless specifically as the Heir, even citing the injury he took to the foot and wishing him the best of luck. No, it was probably just nothing. I mean, sometimes, people think that both sons of a Chief are equally capable of being the Heir to the throne, even though the eldest usually had the upper hand.

I decided to go read another letter, this time it reference the "Hope and Heir to the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans", my title… but at the end it referenced Toothless again. Why? I picked another letter, again it was for Toothless and again it praised him, calling him the "Pride of Chief Stoick". Okay, maybe that was just an opinion, no need to worry Hiccup.

This time, I found another. It did not have any reference to who it was addressed to, but it was certainly a letter. Its contents were very vague not really referencing to who it was really addressed to, but it was no less full of praise and salutations. And then, I finally found it referencing me… as a pet, as proof that some people are not really fit for anything. About the only praise I got was for the fact I ran away, an action that while it saved the lives of my brother, myself, and not to mention Thuggory, I could almost feel a slight vitriolic sentiment in those words.

And maybe, they were right. Toothless was clearly the crowd favorite and he was not as obviously cursed in the eyes of Vikings. He was better trained to fight than I was, having been given his whole life to learn skills and techniques. Sure, most of them didn't exactly carry over as well to the human body, but what little that did probably eclipsed everything I knew of swordplay or anything at all a dozen times over. Besides, how am I supposed to be the Chief's son when I was stuck as a dragon? In fact, my being being a dragon probably smoothed things out even more; I had a legitimate excuse to give him the right to lead Berk! I was never cut out to be anything like my father anyways!

But first I should let my little brother know about this, tell him that he should be the Heir, because it was clear to me and everyone else he would be the better Chief. "Uh, Toothless," I called to him.

"Hey, Hiccup!" my brother said, chewing on a bite of apple. He sounded enthusiastic and the grin on his face was positively beaming. "These letters, they're… praising me."

"Uh, yeah, quite a lot them are…" I replied.

"It's amazing!" he said. "I never thought…"

"Thought what?"

"It's just that ever since I… hurt you." He was talking of course of the time he struck an arrow in my gut that nearly killed me, I forgave him about that, mostly since kinda shot him first when we met. Still, my brother's words had become a little somber, a little tense, his mood considerable darkening. "I thought, maybe I wasn't cut out, capable of doing anything good…"

That sounded very familiar… "But I always believed in you," I told him, probably more than I believed in myself.

"I know. But now, lots of other people believe in me, too." Toothless's grin resurfaced. "Say, I bet that you must have got plenty of letters yourself, bud! They're probably taking about how fast or how brave you were for standing up to the Whispering Death."

I looked back at the letters piled around us, wondering if I was doing the right thing here. For quite a while, Toothless had been feeling down, especially ever since One Eye given a proper funeral. This was the first time, in a long while I ever seen him this happy. While I was technically going boosting Toothless ego even more by letting him know that he would make a good Chief, if I let him know about the… nature of some of the letters I've read, I don't think he would take it very well. Given the fact he's optimistic about what I got, he might have skipped over or not even noticed the things written about me or… the lack of things written _to _me. One thing was certain, I did not want to ruin this moment for him, he _deserved_ that much.

"Yeah, there's this one talking about how much of a runner I was, bud," I said. I was being truthful, only omitting how the writer compared me to a coward.

"Mind if I see it?" Toothless said, excitedly.

"Uh, no…" I needed to avoid the topic, get us on to doing something else. My solution was provided for me by Thuggory, just before he left. "We don't have much the time for that now; we have to go to the Library, don't we, bud?"

"Oh, alright," said Toothless. "I've never been to one before…. though, I'm not exactly too keane on meeting someone called the Hairy Scary Librarian."

"Don't worry about it… I'm sure we'll be fine." The Hairy Scary Librarian had been known to cut up intruders to the Meathead Public Library using special swords he called 'Heartslicers'. Needless to say, he was a terror of any would-be theives and vandals; not the kind of person you wanted to talk to on a regular basis. Hopefully, being allowed in, invited by the Heir of the Tribe, gave us special protection in case things gone awry.

I got up, ending my stint as a living sofa cushion. Toothless had a little trouble standing up from the floor, so I had grab onto my neck so he could pull himself upward. My brother's steps were also a little uneven, a little shake, enough for him to almost trip. Fortunately, I was there to catch him before he fell and provided the little support he needed. He didn't need to worry, not when I was there by his side.

Maybe I am not cut out to be a Chief, but I don't think that mattered right now. I was Toothless's older brother and I was good at that; I will be there for him.

We stepped out the door, ready to face today.

* * *

**Those of you who knew Medieval medicine will know what happened to Toothless. It's pretty nasty what they had to do in an age without morphine. I haven't said what they did to Toothless, but you can all probably guess.**

**Also, try not to make too much sense out of dream logic.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. **

**Side story time, this time a little short, but this came a lot sooner than I thought it would have. Also, this will be the last side story chapter for this story arc, so I hope you enjoy it.**

**I'm thankful to CAN07 for continuing to provide Art. An updated pic has been posted on Becoming the Enemy, if anyone hasn't seen the picture, I encourage looking at it.**

**See you next time.**

* * *

I didn't want this life. If it were up to me, I would never have become joined the Knighthood, let alone become a Squire. It was all at the urging of my eldest grandparent, the Patriarch of my Brood, that I was admitted in and rose through the ranks as I did. Ever since the Night Fury, er, Toothless as he called himself now, aspired to join a Flight, I had been pressured to follow after him.

Most of my Kin accuse me of being a slacker, citing that I did not deserve to earn the promotions I had been given, and I agreed with them. Where others, those far more deserving than I, had to struggle to enter the Knighthood, it was simply given to me. And rightfully so, I was taken captive and might have died after the disaster that was my second actual assignment.

Now, my Patriarch was no more and I had no idea what to do with myself without him. All I could do now was be subordinate to the one who my life was forfeit to. And because of that, I served the Herd while spending half my time as one of them… half of that time napping in a corner somewhere.

Were it my choice, I would have been content to live quietly as a nameless nobody. Had it been my decision to make, I would never have joined the Knighthood, let alone get myself captured or have become one of the Herd as a consequence; my life would certainly be less confusing and less frustrating, but it's never my choice, nothing ever is.

At the very least, my leige's den was comfortable. It was dry and well heated, provided there was enough wood to keep the flame in the center going. I lounged by the fireplace, letting my side, most especially my wings take in the warmth. They needed it, especially after last night's little fiasco…

"Oh, come on, Hookfang," said my liege, a creature that could only really be described as a being that was somewhere between Herd and Kin. He had the horns of my Breed, along with a snout very similar in shape to mine, yet his forelimbs were something somewhere between legs and wings, but with very flexible paws. And all of these features were on a body with size and proportions more suited for the Herd. Truth be told, he appeared rather… unsettling when I first saw him, but my life was now in his talons. "We've got a big day ahead of us!" he told me.

"But I am hurt, my liege," I replied showing him my wing. There were bite marks all over, none too sharp or major to actual puncture or cause any permanent damage, but it was still there.

"Pain is for wimps!" he told me. "Besides, Gustav was just playing you! Some wingman you are!""

I frowned. Last night, I ended up getting a new… student courtesy of the Nadder. It was youth, well, by Herd standards at the very least. According to the Gronckle, Kin age faster than the Herd during first few years of life before it evened. As a result, even though my new student appeared to be a fledgeling to my eyes, he was slightly older than me.

Foolishly, I thought that maybe I could do a little play fighting, the kind of thing male his age would engage in since he was the only one of his age group around the island. I found out the hard way that my large size turned out to be my undoing as I was simply unable to reach the smaller Kin while he eagerly bit and nibbled on every part of my body he could get to. My liege only just sat back and laughed at my predicament and only ended it once the smaller Nightmare tired. That little monster was a real nightmare. "Why did the Nadder send him?"

My liege, understanding what I said, only shrugged. "I don't know, but you gotta admit, the kid's got spunk!"

Too much, if he asked me. I think I had enough for today _and_ _tommorrow._ "Can we just stay in the den today?" Today, us, _actual _Kin received a day off from teaching those. I would have wanted to spend the time just lounging and relaxing, but I knew that was being far too hopeful.

"No, we can't!" denied my liege, as much as I wanted him not to. "Come on! The twins want to go race us on Barf and Belch!"

"Oh, is that all?" Well, at least he wasn't thinking of something involving a certain Nadder's tutor and Host; that would have ended worse. Of course, knowing him, this might be part of a large ploy for that female's attentions. Still, I would be going up against the Zippleback in a race. I know they actually became Squires because they earned it and that definitely put me at a serious disadvantage… though, maybe it wouldn't be too bad to spend time with them. I got up, lazily. It was my liege's will, so I must comply to it, right? Besides, even if I doubted I could win, it's not like I was guaranteed to win anyways.

"Atta boy, Hookfang! We're going to show those four just how great we are!" said my liege as he lead me out the entrance to his den. As soon as he closed off the entrance, he climbed on top of my back… one day, I wonder if I will ever get onto of his.

I didn't fly us to our destination, the trip to the den the Zippleback and their hosts shared was not that far away. A few hours after dawn was a good time for a leisurely walk… because I needed something to make up for the fact I can't leisurely lay down. Besides, I could actually show my face in public without any unwanted attention. For whatever reason, Herd females were…attracted towards me, which is odd because I'm not exactly the most popular male in my class. Now though, I didn't have to worry all too much about them, most did not really seem all too much interested or recognize me in my true form.

Sometimes, it feels strange to walk through a Herd nest, village, without being ousted, but then again, they believed I was one of them, a male of their own suffering from some strange curse like some of their own. At the same time, realizing the sounds my former captors made were actual speech gave me chills, especially once I started to understand this so-called 'Norse' tongue of theirs; there were just so many words for things...

I will admit, the best part of this whole experience is probably the fact that to most people, I was a complete. No one here, save my former peers knew who I was. I never have to worry about them thinking I only got to where I was due to blood relations and nepotism, nor did I have to worry about being judged as a reflection of my grandfather's whims; I just only wish he did not have to perish because of it. As far as they knew, I was merely a boy, an adolescent who knows a thing or two about the Kin and sometimes dawned the shape of a Monstrous Nightmare and on one occasion stood against a vicious, murderous false Kin. And I was completely fine with that.

I walked through the market without attracting too much attention, other from the occasional glance or wandering stare. I passed by false Kin as they frequented the stores and tried to barter in tongues they could not speak only exchanging minor greetings. The only things I received were nods and salutations and good greetings, not frowns, not scorn…

But, I knew it wasn't too good to last. Halfway through the stroll through the village, I began hearing my liege mutter to himself. "It's okay, Snotlout, you can do this… you can totally do this."

"Is something wrong my liege?" I asked, somewhat concerned. Sometimes, whenever we were in public, especially when we were around people, my liege begin would talking to himself, always seeming to try to reinforce himself over something.

"No, nothing's wrong!" my liege told me. " Whatever gave you that idea?"

"But… you sounded worried a moment ago…"

"I wasn't worrying!" My liege denied. He then jumped ontop of my head and then looked me in the eyes, just as "Worrying is for chumps! And I'm not a chump! Are you worried?" And just like every time before, my liege denied it was a problem.

"I am worried," I admitted. Something… bothered my liege I did not know what it was. Why was he so concerned over something?

"Well, then, maybe you're not cutout to be my wingman then!" chided my liege. While, I don't understand what flying has to do with this, I somehow felt a shiver run up my spine. He really… didn't want me?

"But my leige, I don't understand why do you speak to yourself? It's strange!"

"Who's talking to himself?" questioned my liege, again denying me. "I do-" Suddenly, my leige stopped speaking mid-sentence. He didn't leave me, I could still feel his weight on my neck, but something had interrupted him…

Quietly, I stopped and turned my head around to see my liege. I found him looking at one of those brass discs that shone one's reflection, like a murky river but with a cleaner image. I felt his weight leave my shoulders and soon I saw my liege solemnly approach the disk… I wonder what it tasted like, certainly it must have been better than iron.

Was that what got my master's attention, his own reflection? No, that can't be it; that was silly, he was no Nadder. With one hand, I saw him feel around his face, a look that reminded me that he was afraid, worried about something about his face. "It can't end like this," I heard him murmur. "A whole village and you're the only freak in it…"

"I don't think you're a freak," I told him… I don't know why I did it, but, I just thought it was what was expected of me. As long as I knew him, my liege looked like this.

My liege turned and looked at me. "Pft, says the guy who attracts all the ladies…" chided my leige. "Look at me, I'm the only guy on Berk who looks… like a monster." Now I began to understand. Slowly, I approached him, knowing what bothered my liege. On all of 'Berk', there were only two who shared a similar fate, but both of them were better adjusted, more suited. One of them was with the Nadder and aside from a few areas by the neck and her inability to speak as the Herd did, she was fine. The other was the Night Fury's brother and he no longer had to worry about slowly becoming Kin. Unlike the other two, my liege was caught directly in between, torn between two vastly different forms and appearing unsightly because of it. Sure, there were times he liked to proudly declare the that only the greatest could be Monstrous Nightmares, but maybe that's all they were, declarations; I'm certainly not all that great, either.

"Then, what are you going to do?" I asked, concerned that my leige might make an irrational decision.

"I'm- I don't know…" he declared, slumping down on the floor. "I just… don't want to be a monster, a freak. That's all…"

"Then, why don't you?" I questioned. Shaking my head, an idea popped in my head, maybe something that could solve my leige's worrying. "You could always become a Nightmare…" While, I am not too proud of my involvement with the Night Fury's elder brother, I did know that he seemed pretty well off from my point of view. Aside from that, my liege would be… my Kin then.

My liege seemed to consider it for a moment, a slight a frown on his face. "Dad wouldn't like that," he chuckled morbid. "I mean, he got mad the moment I started growing horns and…if I suddenly decided become a Nightmare, he might just..." He shook his head and changed the topic "Hey, Hookfang, I have a question."

"Uh, yes?"

"If I… No matter, what happens you would have my back, right? I mean, you're here because you want to, right?"

That was an interesting question. What if my liege was not my liege, would I still wish to follow him? I only began serving him because I was so afraid to die by his hands, he had the right to end me and then showed me mercy… I owed him. If I didn't, I would have flown off long ago…But then again, it wasn't all bad. I had plenty food, a place to sleep… a shoulder to cry on… all of those things were given to me by him. But, would I still stay with him without them? My answer came to me, I simply relayed it, "… I am your wingman."

"Then, you're the best wingman a guy can ask for, Hookfang!" cheered my liege. He then took me by the head and gently scratched at the back of my horns. It was a soothing feeling, one that carried with it a few realizations.

All this time, I thought when he referred to me as his wingman, I thought he was talking about in the sense that we flew together, even though he was bound to the land. No, that was something else entirely, something unrelated to merely flight. I had his back and he had mine…

Second was that no matter how much I thought of him as my leige, my liege did not see me as his vassal, at least, not all of the time. There were plenty of times, like right now, where he was perfectly willing to forgo any pretense of… service between the two of us.

Third, maybe I should start being more active with my opinions, be more… assertive. Before, I just followed whatever was the task was assigned to me. But now, my leige asked me for my advice, my opinion on certain things, and I had feeling that in the future there. What if I had to refuse him something? Maybe, I could, no, I should be willing to oppose him if he thought of something foolish… and maybe everytime he decides to cut time from the afternoon naps.

While I stood there thinking, I suddenly felt my liege, no, _Snotlout_ climb on top of my back. "Well that's enough of that!" he declared. "We've got a race to win!"

I silently nodded. Yes, there was a 'we'. I led us forward. I wonder if the prize for winning would be a place to sleep on.

* * *

You'd think that with both Hiccup and Toothless gone for a while, things would be rather quiet. No, I don't dislike my apprentices by any means, but whenever something crazy happens, they're usually involved or even the source of the madness. Because of them, I now live in a world where the Chief's eldest son is a dragon, his _other _long-lost son _used to be a dragon, _a Nadder comes to my shop _to buy a sword, _a Gronckle quizzes me on blacksmithing techniques, and that's not counting the other villagers. I still don't know what happened to Val, but neither of the two boys are willing to say it; I reckon it's gotta be for a good reason.

There's a reason that the Chief and I often spent more time than we used to exchanging a drink by a flagon. We thought we'd seen everything, done plenty_ enough _in our lifetimes. Turns out, we haven't had dragons all over Berk, both by birth and by conversion, come and live in the place; it makes me wonder why people have such a hard time believing in a dragon wearing bones for armor…

Still, I thought that having Stoick's boys off the island would give me a little bit of a vacation, some time to relax without having to worry about something else going horribly wrong. Of course I would have, if did not I completely forgotten about how destructive Snotlout and the twins were with their new friends… They were the number one reason _not _to have kids.

"Can any of you lot tell me what you just done?" I asked the present group of teenagers and two dragons. We were all on the docks, standing by the smolder remnants of what had once been an old longboat. Yes, I already knew it was ravaged by dragon fire because Snotlout and the twins decided to 'borrow' the thing for the purposes of a little race of theirs; I just wanted to make sure _they knew_.

"Ooh! Ooh! I know this one!" declared Tuffnut.

"No, you don't, you idoit!" argued his sister, Ruffnut. "Ain't that right, Barf?"

The Zippleback head behind the girl gave an approving nod while the other made a comment in turn.

"Well, you heard Belch! I know this!" argued Tuffnut.

I decided to intervene before I _completely _lost control of the situation, as things often do around the twins. "So then what's the answer?"

Tuffnut cheerily declared. "That we were _awesome!"_

Ruffnut merely snorted at her brother. "I could have told you that!"

Barf and Belch nodded, apparently agreeing with her.

"Well, you didn't!" yelled Tuffnut.

The pair of Zippleback heads also nodded, apparently agreeing him..

"Whose side are you on!?" questioned Tuffnut, apparently, his frustration directed at the Zippleback.

"Yeah, are you on my side or his?" added Ruffnut. If it were anyone else, I would have thought it was odd for the twins to band together to argue against a common foe, but the Zippleback was a unique case. Both heads, Barf and Belch, seemed to more or less… get how the twins functioned, or tried to at any rate, at least enough that they just… fit right in.

The pair of heads only just looked at each other with confused glances and then nodded their heads. What any of this meant was something that was just beyond me but whatever it was seemed to cause a sort of verbal debate among the four of them. Four heads better than two? Not so much.

Washing my hands of that silliness, I turned to Snotlout and Hookfang. The duo gave each other a quick look of anticipation. I took a sip from the tankard mounted on my arm, the first of what might be many today. "Alright, can you tell me what happened here?" I could tell Snotlout and the Nightmare both cringed slightly, backing away. So that's how it was? Fine, if they won't tell, I'll just have to beat it out of them. Taking off my mug, I quickly replaced the axe attachment for my arm. Now, I wasn't going to cut off their heads or anything, but that doesn't mean I can't try to scare it out of them. "Tell me before I…"

I didn't even get a chance to finish my sentence before Hookfang, burst into a rapid fit of growls and grunts, each growing more fearful and rapid with every saying. Eventually, Hookfang stopped speaking, only to start panting and breathing heavily."

"Wow, that's an earful," Snotlout commented.

"And I did not understand a single word of it!" I told declare. "Next time, maybe you should think about that before you let Hiccup borrow those necklaces of yours." The Nightmare's head dropped onto the ground right after, realizing what he said was in vain. Though, I wished I understood what he said, I had never been a dragon, in part or in whol, nor did I wish to become one just to understand a few words. Still, I had to give the Nightmare credit, saved me the trouble of having to actually swing my arm around.

"So… uh, what now?" asked Snotlout, fearfully.

I considered it for a moment. Well, I got an explanation, one that I couldn't understand, so technically, I got what I wanted… but what was the fun in _not _making the kids wet themselves? Besides, I can do so much more with a little creativity. I raised my axe, a little close to Snotlout's head. Understandly, the boy cringed his teeth, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He might have been really tough and quick to heal, but that did not make him unafraid. "Oh, nothing," I said. "Just thinking on letting Stoick… or your father decide your punishment. Property damage doesn't fix or pay for itself you know.."

"We'll fix it! Rebuild it!" yelled Shootout. The axe really does work wonders, don't it?

Satisfied, I took my axe off and then placed a box of tools near the boys feet. "Excellent! You may begin work immediately!"

Snotlout nodded and with some hesitation, so did Hookfang and the Zippleback. Unfortunately, the twins did not seem to be as pleased. "Aw, I wanted to set Snotlout on fire today!" complained Ruffnut.

"Yeah," added Tuffnut. "What else am I going to do today?" Really, am I surprised they're talking about setting Snotlout on fire? I'm pretty sure they used to do it more often when they were younger.

"You can help Snotlout and Hookfang rebuild since you're responsible for flooding the house with Zippleback gas before it exploded," I told them, much of their chagrin.

"Hey! That was them!" Tuffnut gestured at Barf and Belch, both heads of the Zippleback obviously replying with a snarl. "Well, it was cool, but not _that _cool!"

"Well, I'll be checking on back within the hour. You better have something ready when I return!" I told them. Then, I turned my back on them and walked away. Realistically, I doubted any of them had the skills and expertise to actually finish or even start rebuilding a burnt down house. These were the twins and Snotlout, after all; I'd sooner expect Hiccup or Toothless to kill Jormungandr, than for any of them to build anything above a shanty. Still, if they tried hard enough, maybe I can cut them some slack.

Taking my leave, I decided to go off back to my workshop. Some nice relaxing smithing might be all I needed to unwind. It turns out that while I was away from my forge, someone else came by, specifically, a blonde and a redhead.

Astrid and Stormfly both approached me as I came forward, each giving waves of greeting. "If you're here about that sword, I haven't even started on that yet," I told them.

"Uh, no, it's not that," said Stormfly.

"Oh. So, what brings you to my store today?"

"We're here to ask for…" started Stormfly. She appeared a little hesitant, unsure of what to ask for. She then turned to ask Astrid to help her. "Are we really sure about this? I mean, you do know this place makes me feel…"

I saw the shield-maiden give a small nod and mutter something unintelligible. Speaking whatever language the dragons spoke apparently only required you to have the area near your throat… change a little, now if only, speaking other languages were that simple.

"Very well," said the redhead, sounding a little… defeated if you asked me. "Astrid and I need replacement shields and throwing axes since we-" she frowned. "-broke all the ones we had."

I shrugged. Oh, really, was that it? I knew they were training, so it's expected weapons and gear would dull or break eventually. Replacement and repairs were as simple as going to the local smiths and craftsmen, it shouldn't have been a problem to consider going unless money was a concern.

Astrid though broke out in a fit of giggles, causing the redhead to glower. "It's not my fault I fell back on what I knew!"she said to the blonde. "You're supposed to break the shield the most direct way, as fast as possible. It just so happened I had the weapons you gave me…" Astrid continued laughing. So, she's been taught in the art of breaking shields? That explains why both the _axes and_ shields both needed replacing at the same time. Axes just tended to dull more often than break.

Leading the two girls into my store, I showed them to the shield rack and took out a few spare axes. "Well, I've got quite a few of both, so take what you feel like..." It was at this point, I realized that while Astrid stepped in, Stormfly did not. Was she really so embarassed about breaking some gear? I mean, she broke a few shields in a single day, most people would be bragging about that sort of thing. "Is something wrong, lass?" I asked her.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all…" Stormfly finally stepped in. She was clearly shivering a little, but did not comment on that. I was her go over to the collection of axes I laid out, while Astrid went over to check by the shields.

She seemed anxious to get near the weapons, but got over enough to touch the blade of one of the axes."Take your time," I told the red head.

"You make… dragon killing weapons, do you not?" he asked, hesitantly.

I smiled a little. Well, technically, any weapon could fell one of the beasties, I liked to think mine were better designed for the job, being sharper and more able to punch through scale and thick hide. "Yup, the finest you'll…" Before I added the word 'find', I suddenly remembered who I was talking to. Really, the name should have given it away, that kind of thing isn't a name.

Stormfly was a Nadder, a Nadder who currently appeared human because of the amulet around her neck… and I completely forgot about that. It's strange to think about it; I don't think of her as a dragon, because more often than not I see her dressed up in the best clothes Astrid could give her. What makes this awkward is that I made a killing, a business, off of creating weapons to fight her kind… I think I need to get my tankard attachment again.

"So how much will that be?" asked the Nadder. She still hesitated, but seemed a little calmer now.

Blinking, I found Astrid and Stormfly approach, each carrying a variety of equipment.

"Eh, don't worry about it. It's on me, you girls have plenty training to do you!" I told them. Both looked at each other, somewhat confused, I know I am.

"Hm, so this is what it's like to have connections?" muttered Stormfly.

"Sort of," I replied. She must have been thinking, I was playing favorites because she was friends with Astrid and Hiccup, for the longest time, had been trying to get her the Hofferson family's attention. Well, I was playing favorites, but not for that reason.

Both girls nodded and went on their way, taking what they had selected with them.

With them gone, I slumped down into a chair, realizing with a heavy heart just what the future might hold for me.

The war between dragons and Vikings might suddenly end, despite running for centuries. Now, I know it's unrealistic to assume for it all to end overnight, but it could happen; stranger things have happened. Every day I see Vikings and dragons living together, to say nothing about the dragons who _were Vikings._ Sure, I imagine that dragons will still try to fight and attack my Tribe every now and again, but the full scale raids that happened almost as if on schedule might never happen again.

I made my place in this world offering the things I made to fight and kill dragons, but if dragons attacks become less frequent and less dangerous, my ability to sell my weapons would decrease as well.

In fact, if after the war ended and dragons come and decide to live on Berk, I just might find myself suddenly ostracized for the things I used to create en mass. And even if I could, I don't think I would have the conscience to keep making dragon killing weapons if they started suddenly being our neighbors. For all I know, I might be responsible for allowing someone Stormfly or any of the other actual dragons on Berk to lose someone they knew!

I just don't know what I would do without the war… Creating was my life, my livelihood. If I wanted to continue making things for a living, what would I have to make to stay in this job?

Maybe Hiccup's idea might be more helpful than I thought it was.

I went to one of the tables and unfolded a sheet of parchment. It detailed an idea Hiccup had, something that might allow us regular folk to live with dragons at least better, at least without doing something crazy like becoming a dragon. It took me a few days to figure out what he wanted, especially since he couldn't talk to me directly about it, but eventually we settled on something and had a basic prototype worked out in time for the trip to Meathead Island.

I wonder if Hiccup will ever get the chance to show it off in front of Mogadon, though I'm more interested in how Toothless would react to it.

I grinned a little to myself. The world was becoming a different place, one that if I wanted to place in, I needed to adapt.

* * *

**Now, I am aware Brood means in the same birthing and all, I simply use it because it's the closest I could** **think of to represent the unorthodox and heavily informal clan system dragons would use. **

**Yes, I know that Hookfang is a lot more resistant to Snotlout in the movies and series, but I've got an interesting idea for how to handle his character. **

**He's also a little…scatterbrained, randomly jumping to something unrelated.**

**Also, can anyone guess what Gobber and Hiccup made?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**So, I'm doing pretty well these days. I'd like to thank Thor-born and CAN07 for being a big help in that regard. Lots of people came in this month. This chapter come out far earlier than I expected, a good three days earlier than my usual.**

**As to you other readers, we now finally continue the saga of what happens to a certain pair of brothers.**

**Please enjoy.**

* * *

My legs hurt, no doubt about it. Every time I so much as twitched the wrong way, I received a jolt of pain so intense that I wondered why I was even able to stand, let along walk… Okay, maybe I'm giving myself too much credit, I'm just barely hobbling forward and it's only because my brother was letting my grip onto his neck I'm even able to do anything. Most of the time, I have to keep it off the ground for the moment I put any of my weight on my leg was the moment it erupted in burning pain.

And probably the only thing that hurt worse than my leg was the splintering headache. I don't know what the Meathead healers did to me, but I had a feeling I would have probably been better off just having the spine still in my leg. Every now and again, I had short dizzy spells where my vision would get cloud and I felt like throwing up. It's just like with that mead-stuff that my brother and Dad liked to drink every now and again, I could never take more than a swig before feeling like I would just keel over. Isn't the point of having a healer to make you feel better?

Still, I kept moving forward, one limping step at a time. "Maybe I should let you on my back," suggested my brother.

"No!" I opposed. There was no way I was going to let him make me ride him at a time this. I mean, sure I've accepted letting him fly me, but that's flying; I can't do that without wings! I wanted to be able to stand on my own two feet not on his four! Besides, at the rate I was going, I could make it down the steps far enough for brother to get out of the doorway within… three minutes?

Hiccup stayed silent, but I could almost swear Hiccup's eye roll with every step I took. Before long, I managed to make it all the way down the small flight of stone steps and onto the ground; I felt a little proud for making it that far without yelping in agony, but Hiccup seemed a little less than enthusiastic, "Well, if we hurry up, we can be there by tomorrow."

"Shut up!" I told him, only to realize that I didn't know where I was supposed to go. "Uh… where is the Library?"

"Don't worry, I know where to go," said my brother as he lead the way.

I walked a little faster now that I got the hang of 'walking' with only one working foot. I decided to stop watching my own feet once I realized that I was practically tripling the amount of time it took for me to do each and every step; I figured since my brother was there and all, I could risk it. The pain in my head and leg were at least starting to dull… or maybe I was starting to dull.

As I hobbled slowly onward, I noticed that the Meathead village was not really very much different than what it was like back home. Now that I was not being rushed into fighting some dragon, I could easily pick out and recognize the different stores and houses and houses that acted as stores and the other way around. Buildings were mostly made of wood, a liability in the event of a dragon attack, but it was pretty cheap and easy to work with. Really, the only thing that really stood out to me being different is that occasionally, I keep seeing the Meathead's insignia in places where I commonly expected the Hooligan's. Overall, the place seemed quite…familiar to me and I had an inkling suspicion there was more to it than just similar architectural choices. It that was probably nothing.

"Is that him?" I heard one of the villagers say.

"Yeah, it's him! Who else has a Night Fury?" another said.

Snapping myself back to reality, I noticed that several of the Meatheads had took note of me and my brother… which to be fair is pretty easy to do when your brother is a several ton dragon.

The villagers then started calling other villagers to their side, their number practically doubling every time my brother and I so much as stepped forward. Others instead went over to us, forming an ever growing _cloud_ of bodies that eventually stopped us from advancing ever further. I clung on tightly to my brother, excepting the worst to happen.

Then, to my surprise, the villagers then raised their arms up and broke out into cheers and applause. "All hail, Toothless, slayer of Grimmaw!" was the loudest and most noticeable of them, followed by other accolades like "Good shooting!" and "Your father must really be proud of you!"

I was honestly expecting a little hostility or maybe some indifference, I mean, just because I received a pile of letters did not actually mean that _everyone _was willing to accept me, to congratulate me for what I had done. For all I knew at the time, that could have just represented a very vocal minority, one that was willing to secretly give me a little support while I rested. I have never been as glad was I was to know wrong I was.

I let go of my brother, feeling a sense of overwhelming pride. Suddenly, the pain in my leg and head seemed almost like nothing in comparison. The gathered Meatheads began chanting my name, raising their hands and any weapons in the air in what I imagined to be a sort of congratulatory ritual. I had done good, hadn't I? Didn't I deserve this satisfaction and adoration? I grinned taking in their praise.

"What was it like vanquishing the beast?" asked one man.

I thought of that for a moment. Now, I realize that all I did was hit the Whispering Death in the eye, but then again Thuggory said there has been no sign of him since yesterday. Whispering Deaths lack limbs, a serious disadvantage when trying to clean wounds. On top of that, I hit the eye, one of few points on their body susceptible to damage. I realize I might have causes more damage to the dragon than I realized and it was entirely possible that while I did not immediately leave a fatal blow, the Whispering Death might have simply bled out. Still, I knew how to reply, "It was the most terrifying moment of my life…"

"You're brave for a boy!" another man spoke.

"Wish I had a son like you!" said one of the women.

Never in my whole life have I ever received this much universal praise. Even in the King's Nest, I had many who criticized me for being 'born into my position' and others who compared me to Mother, but this was different. I could stand here forever, drinking upon the praise.

"Uh, Toothless," I heard my brother say. "I hate to break it you, but have to go now…"

Right, we have to go the Library. Turning to him, I whispered, "Aw, but can't we stay for a little longer?"

"Toothless…" he said in an almost parental tone of reprimand. I hated it back when Mother used it and I hated it even now. Always put such a damper on my mood.

I almost wanted to say he was being selfish. "Fine…" Turning to the crowd, I raise my hand to get their attention. The conversation I had with my brother seemed to go over their heads as they still continue to shout praises in my name. "Okay, I wish stick around I've gotta get going!" I told them. "I've got some real important business at the Library, do you all mind letting me through?

As soon as I said that, the crowd shifted, backing away just enough to form a path for a small scra-, no, a lean and well built boy like myself and a dragon to easily walk through. Smirking at myself for my own cleverness, my brother and I walked down the path the shouting throng set out for us.

Eventually, the villagers tired and slowly backed off, one by one; they couldn't keep shouting their praises and applause going on forever, as much as I wanted them to do so, that or they probably got tired of me hobbling along. As soon as they left, the pain in my leg returned. On the bright side, my head at least felt a little clearer now, whatever the healers did to me seemed to have worn off.

Now that were mostly on our own, I felt it was time again to discuss with my older brother. "Hey, you've been awfully quiet," I told Hiccup.

"Because you clearly needed me to talk over a hundred Vikings shouting your name," he told me in that tone of sarcasm of his.

I smirked. "Well, can't you believe it? I actually had people cheering me on!" I saw my brother's face contort into a small frown, well, what passed for one on a dragon's face. I wondered what that was all about, did my sudden growth of popularity bother him somehow. "Uh, is something wrong?"

Hiccup's face slow contorted back into a more neutral expression. "Oh, it's just nothing…

"Hiccup…" I groaned. I knew he was obviously lying to me.

"It's just…" he began, nervous. I could tell he was contemplating what he was going to say, his eyes moving back and forth. "I was worried back there…"

"Of what?"

"The healers were unsure if they could save you," said my brother. "I'm just glad you're okay."

I cringed a little, yeah, that was definitely something worth worrying about, even now. I mean, he told me this before like… an hour ago? But I guess it might have needed stating again. "Well, so am I; I'm glad I am alive, bud!"

Hiccup grinned.

"Boys! Hey boys!" I heard a man shout.

Turning in the direction it was coming from, Hiccup and I saw a man rapidly approach.

Hiccup and I stopped moving for a moment, giving the man to catch up. On closer inspection, I could tell it was one of those men that often to report to my Dad, Mulch I think it was. The Viking man stopped once he got within arm's reach, bending over exhausted. He gave deep breaths and inhales, trying to fill his lungs with air. "Just got word…" he panted. "That you… boys just…woke up…"

"Hey, slow down!" I told him, letting Mulch gather his breath.

"Mind translating for me?" Hiccup asked. I nodded and started repeating my brother's words for Mulch to hear. "Hey, Mulch. Has anything come up?" Neither of us really felt like bending down and reaching into the dirt right now. Really, it would have been nice if Hiccup could just talk to other people directly, but that's just how it was. Dragons and humans can't talk to each other without having been one of the other at least once.

Mulch at this time gathered enough of his breath to at least sound normal. "No, just giving you the morning… afternoon update," groaned the still exhausted Viking.

"Alright," said my brother. "Tell me."

"Okay, did plenty of trading, especially after word spread that Toothless felled Grimmway." I smirked at that statement, now Dad was certainly going to be proud of me. I bested the thing that had bothered me for so much of my life without even being there and now it seemed like everything was only getting better ever since I put him out of my misery.

"Anyways," continued Mulch, "after that, Mogadon upheld his part of the bargain and stuffed as many of the ships as he could with raw iron and wood."

Hiccup and I both blinked, both of us vaguely remembering that we did force the Meathead Chief to a bargain. I think in between me nearly dying to some medical treatment and the adoration of my new fans, we both forgot about it entirely.

"Well, that's good, Dad would like the sound of that," Hiccup said; I merely relayed his words since I was still too stunned to actually do that little thing that we humans like to call _thinking_.

"And after that, since we couldn't do anything more without overloading the ships, a couple of men ventured into the village on… errands or whatever while waiting for you boys to recover. I think Bucket went to see an old friend of his."

My brother nodded. "That's fine," he told the man. I think Dad might have reprimanded him for leaving his post, but honestly, Hiccup was not our father.

"So what are your orders?" asked the Viking. Hiccup, being the eldest, was put in charge of leadng a small trade fleet… if you consider three ships a fleet. Mulch was technically the supervisor, but Hiccup didn't seem to need all too much of it.

"Well, as soon as the ships are ready, I want you all to deliver the supplies back to my Dad. Toothless and I will stay behind a little longer."

"Behind?" exclaimed Mulch. "Your father gave explicit orders for me to make sure you return home safely! Once he knows about the incident… down there with that _thing, _he'll- !"

I decided to interject. "He's gone!" I said. "Grimmaw, the Whispering Death, whatever we call him. He is dead, because I killed him! Nothing to worry about!"

"Hopefully," Hiccup muttered, putting a slight damper on my mood. "We haven't seen him for a day and suddenly everyone thinks he's gone for good!"

I snorted. "Name one good reason for why I should believe that he's still alive."

"Because Mom has been dead nearly fifteen years?" stated Hiccup.

I could only glower because I knew he had a point; Mother had been thought dead for so long that when I told my Father that she was alive that he didn't believe me until I gave him something of hers. "Well, he's still lost an eye, I don't think he can treat the injury without hands."

"True," brother admitted before turning back to Mulch again. I immediately began translating again, "If you or Dad are worried, just return back and pick us up. Otherwise, I can just fly us home."

The older Viking nodded, understanding. "So what about… you know that thing you brought over?"

"Leave it here," said my brother. "I'll take it home if you guys don't come back."

I frowned. When Hiccup and I left Berk, he had a large box of some sort with him, something that he and Gobber had been working on for a while. Now, I had never been allowed to know what was inside, with either my teacher or my brother saying it's some sort of surprise. I no idea what it could been, but at the same time, I had to wonder. I knew was made of leather, but to imagine something so big it took up that big crate, yet could be carried by my brother on the way home almost seemed impossible. Still, why wasn't I not allowed to know what it was? Did they not trust me?

The older man nodded. "Alright," he said begrudgingly. "Have fun at the library." And then Mulch was gone.

Thinking to myself, I wondered what would Dad think of all this. As far as my Father knew, this was officially the first time that I, acting as his son, had done a great deed in the Honor of the Tribe. I ended the life of a monster that terrorized the lives of many Vikings… and two particular dragons, and won great rewards. Would he be proud me? Then again, what of 'Grimmaw'? I know now he used to be a Hooligan after all, what would his family and friends think of him, and me, once they learned the truth?

Suddenly, I felt my weight shift as something from beneath me come right at me and hoist me into the air. It was Hiccup, using his neck to leverage me onto his back. I tumbled slightly, before landing on chest. "Hey! What are you doing?" I shouted.

"What's it look like? I'm getting us there before dinner!" And then my brother was off. Once again, my brother decided that I needed to be carried around everywhere. So much for being a great and terrible slayer of dragons; I'm not even allowed to walk anywhere! Sometimes, I get the idea that my older brother sees me as … his little brother.

* * *

After I had forced Toothless onto my back, travelling to the Meathead Public Library was much faster without having to worry about my hobbling little brother. I know that he hated me a little every time I put him on top of my back and carried him wherever I went, but this time I had good reason. My brother was injured and no matter how much either of us wanted to deny it, he was _not okay._

As much as I wanted to have him recover quickly to stand up on his own again, that didn't happen. He was definitely having problems walking, almost tripping on his own feet or stepping in something he wasn't supposed to. The Meathead Public Library was far, far enough away that it might have not been the wisest idea for him to walk the whole distance. So I did what I thought was right, I gave him a little time to walk on his own before I carried him the rest of the way there.

We arrived at the Meathead Public Library far sooner than I expected, the building itself being at the farthest edge of Meathead village, past even the farms and fields. I had actually been here before once before, two years ago on a short visit for my technically 'fourth' birthday. Granted, back then, it didn't occur to me that calling this place the 'Meathead Public Library' was a bit odd.

Despite its name, the whole did not appear to be all that 'public'. There was a column of guards standing outside of the main gate, their weapons drawn and ready to cut down any would-be visitors at a moment's notice. I could see some marksmen a bit further and on the roof, their bows aiming right at me. Well, I can't say I didn't get a warm welcome.

Really, now that I thought about it, I didn't think Meathead Public Library looked much like a library either; the whole building appeared to be more like a fortress with all the assorted entrapments, a few banners here, a few spikes there. Then again, I never exactly seen many other libraries this large either. Now, there were a few libraries on Berk, but those were small, private collections of maybe consisting a few stocked bookshelves run and operated by individuals or small families. The Meathead Public Library on the other hand was put together and effectively run by the whole Tribe of Meatheads. Oh, so that's explains why it's public; well, it still does not look like a Library to me.

I cautiously approached the Library, fearing that one wrong move might set off the guards. Toothless's arms gripped tightly around my neck and I could feel my little brother shiver as I slowly approached. A few men dressed in armor with concealing helmets approached me, their weapons drawn and pointed at us.

"That's enough, they're our guests!" called a voice from behind the Meathead warriors. It was Thuggory, living up to his promise of meeting us at the Library. On his command, the Vikings sheathed their weapons and went back to their posts as if nothing at all had happened.

"You know, I thought this place was public!" yelled my brother as Thuggory came into view.

"It's owned by the whole Tribe, that makes it public to the Tribe," said the Meathead Heir, more or less confirming the things I had been thinking about a moment ago. Shaking his head, Thuggory continued, "Anyways, I'm glad the two of you could make it here; I can start working on paying you two back for the help you've been giving me."

"Good thing, too," laughed my brother. "Otherwise, you'd have to suddenly find out that Hiccup's your long-lost brother to get out of debt to him!"

The Meathead Heir broke out into a short belly laugh. "Well, don't thank me yet," said Thuggory as he lead us to the front of the Library. "The Hairy Scary Librarian isn't exactly the nicest guy in the bunch. Cuts up anyone who isn't a Meathead or has the Chief's explicit permission if they so much as think of getting close to the Library."

"Uh, why exactly is he called the Hairy Scary Librarian?" asked my brother, sounding a little afraid. I could tell he was shivering… or maybe that was just me. I there was a draft, right?

"Because all of those things apply," muttered Thuggory. We now stood outside a pair of utterly large double doors, the kind Father said are used to allow men to charge out of the building as one big unit. They were big, massive enough that I imagined three monstrous Nightmares could enter, side by side. "Anyways, just stick by me and I'll lead you both to him."

My brother and I both nodded and Thuggory lead us inside.

Immediately inside, I could see what must have been hundreds of bookshelves, all filled to the brim with books and scrolls. Shelves, organized in an almost dizzying labyrinthine manner, contained dozens upon dozens of subjects and topics all neatly organized and filed. They even had a copy of the _Book of Dragons_ _by Bork the Bold_. Last time I went here, Fishlegs had been begging me to take him and it's not hard to see why. All told, maybe if all of the books on Berk were put together in a single place, we might have cobbled together somewhere under a fifth of what the Meatheads had.

And then there were the other things. While it's to be expected that any large and sufficiently old build developed a collection of decorations and memorabilia, I almost got the impression that the building was made just as much for these things as much as it was for the books. I saw a collection of wooden masks, their faces colored into almost angry visages depicting gods I had never even heard of. A pair of long tusks, their tips capped in gold were hung over the pelt for what must have been an abnormally long necked horse. There was a statue of a man by one corner, dressed in armor and painted in the most gaudy and disorienting colors imaginable standing right next to a golden state of a bald, robed man meditating and making odd gestures with his hands while holding beads. We Vikings traveled to far off lands all the time, but we rarely ever take home things so large. One day when Thuggory succeeds his father, I should tell him to rename this place the Meathead Public _Museum._

"How do you keep all this stuff?" commented my brother. "How is it a dragon hasn't come by and destroyed it all?"

Thuggory's face contorted into a wry smile, obviously proud of his Tribe's collection."Well, one of my ancestors had had the bright idea of putting most of our valuable and difficult to replace thing in a single place, far out of the way of any food or anything else a dragon might want. Usually, dragons usually don't even bother wasting their time coming here, there's nothing to gain! Well, most of the time, a few months back, half the dragons in the raid just suddenly decide to go ransack the place, including a Night Fury! We beat them off, but I don't even know why they bothered doing that; that act pretty much cost them the raid."

I could almost _feel _my brother cringe. "Well, that Night Fury musta' thought he was trying to destroy a siege tower or something and the others just simply decided to follow him...Probably came to regret it." There was obviously a small degree of guilt on his part.

Okay, this conversation a little awkward Thuggory began squinting at Toothless, as if he was trying to figure something out important. If he found out that Toothless had been the reason the Meathead Public Library almost burned down, I don't know what I'd expect. I decided now would be a good time to change topics to something a little less likely to make an enemy out of one of the few people who actually respected me. I casually tapped Thuggory with my tail, silently reminding them that I was a _Night Fury_ and of what happened last time I showed up.

"Maybe Night Furies just like to messup libraries. No wonder you turned into one, Hiccup," Thuggory jokingly suggested. My brother simply shrugged, not getting the small inside joke that I had with the Meathead Heir. I hoped I didn't have to.

After that, we continued forward, turning a down a few more corridors and twisted shelves. I couldn't help but feel a little cramped; the ceiling was just low enough to feel uncomfortable and each corridor was tight enough that I risked knocking something over if I didn't carefully control my tail.

Eventually, we made our way to the clearing in what I presumed to be the heart of the Meathead Public Library. The area was wider, enough to comfortably fit in a few tables and chairs with enough room to spare for an overly clumsy a dragon.

Sitting at one of the tables was an elderly man, reading from a certain Night Fury scaled book. "So, you have arrived, _Hiccup,_" spat the Hairy Scary Librarian. His voice was so bitter that I could almost feel my lips pucker up from the sound of it alone. He very much didn't like me; he made that clear last time I visited.

"Hello, again," I told him, even though he couldn't understand. "Toothless, I'm going to need you to speak to him for me."

My brother was startled and fell off my back in surprise. He got up, mostly uninjured but with a look of distaste in his mouth. "Do I really have to?" he exclaimed. Like me, he too did not want to interact

"There's nothing to write on, you have to talk to him on my behalf," I told my brother. I've made some headway in using my paws to draw things on paper using a pen strapped to my finger, but that was still far too cumbersome to really count on.

"You are the worst brother ever," said Toothless. I knew he was bit half-hearted about it, but at the same time, I feared he might have been right; I had to make it up to him someday.

The Hairy Scary Librarian put the book in his hands down, letting me see for the first time in the long time. While few knew his real name, everyone knew him by a title that very accurately described all you needed to know about him. He was 'hairy' because his thick white beard was so long that he use it scrub his own feet. He was 'scary' because he was a powerful sword fighter known for brutally cutting trespassers into his domain. He was a 'librarian' because that was simply his job. In my case, I tend to focus on the word 'scary' over the other two, that was more important. "Pft, you're lucky that the Chief's boy has taken a liking to you, otherwise I'd have cut you open!"

"Hey, we're not doing that! We owe Hiccup and his brother plenty for what they've done for us recently," Thuggory said. "Now, have you learned anything?" I am so glad that he was on my side; none of this would have been possible if I didn't have him for an ally.

The Hairy Scary Librarian grumbled something under his breath, likely a complaint levied at his future Chief. He also took a moment to glare at my brother, making a cautiously take a step back. Most likely he hated my brother just from his association with me alone. Then, put my book down on the table. "No," he said flatly. "This isn't my area of expertise!"

"But you're a socrerer aren't you?" commented Thuggory.

"A little, yes, but I am a Flash master, a swordsman first and foremost!" said the Librarian. "I do not create items of power, boy; I know how to kill!"

"Then what do you know?" I asked and Toothless relay my question for me. If I still had the ability to sweat, I think I would have drenched the floor by now. I was nervous, but did my best to keep reign myself in. This was my only lead to fixing this whole mess and now it feels out that even Thuggory's aid was not enough. I needed answers, I needed something to hope for.

The Hairy Scary Librarian turned back to the table. Aside from the book, there were a few other items on the table; a burned black cloak almost reminiscent of dragon scale despite being made of cloth, a bundle of silver tipped rune inscribed arrows, two silver amulets, one of them broken. Yesterday when Toothless was being treated by the healers, I gave Thuggory the items for the Hairy Scary Librarian for examination. Each had some sort of magical effect and I hoped the Librarian could explain to me how they all worked. "In all of the items you have given me, it is clear to me that they are empowered and operate using the basic principles of rune work," he said. I felt my heart beat increasing.

"I suppose if it my Chief wills it, I can find you some a treastie as well instructions on that practice. Aside from that, I can also translate the Latin in your book into Norse, but I am unable to do anything else beyond that."

"Really?" my brother commented.

"Only because it gets you out of my sight," spat the Librarian.

"Well, you hear that, Hiccup?" asked Thuggory. "You're gonna be learning how to make runes!"

I nodded. My brother and I exchanged big grins on our faces, each of us feeling like we accomplished a major victory. Sure, I thought we could get some answers directly from an expert, but a good book sounded just as good, if not better. Even better, now we were promised the chance to be able to understand the Latin parts of the book without having to do something crazy and tedious like manually translating the book ourselves or learn a second language, er, third language. We both felt like we were powerful Vikings champion winning a major victory on some major war.

"There is however bothers me," said the Hairy Scary Librarian, breaking me and my brother from our brief celebrations.

"Is something wrong?" my brother and I asked at the same time. Neither of us wanted things to go wrong, especially not now.

"Not neccersarily," replied the Hairy Scary Librarian. We still worried. "It is just that…I understand that both of you are able to create these arrows, right?"

"Uh, yeah, is that a problem?" Toothless asked.

"No, not really," said the Librarian. "It is just that, even in foreign arts such as Hermetism or Alchemcy, a least one or two years of study and practice are required before an initiate can even begin to use the simplest spells and incantations."

"What are you getting at?" Toothless suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that.

The Librarian went over to the table and picked up one of the silver tipped, rune inscribed arrows. "This is not simple. This is far too complicated and requires quite a great deal more investment than the average apprentice would have."

I just sat there, stunned. Over the past few months, I've been asking some of my friends to try their hand at creating something, anything from the book's list of things. I wanted to know why was it that everyone else was seemingly disallowed from using any of the arcane knowledge I had in my posession. All my brother and I did was follow the directions before us and then something out of the ordinary happened, but that never happens to anyone else except for Snotlout.

But now, I learned that there should have been some practice or training before hand, some orientation and education to get us to use magic. Yet none of us needed that, all we needed was the ability to read some Norse and the ingredients on hand. Why were we exempt from needing training? What made us so different?

At the same time, I felt a deep rumbling. Maybe it was a bad idea to skip breakfast altogether, but I was anxious about finally getting some answers. I guess now that I've been given some answers and new questions, I could take my brother out for a bite to eat. Maybe we could celebrate with some of his favorite, just so I can make up for earlier…

"Hey, do you hear that?" asked Thuggory, interrupting my chain of thought.

Now that he pointed it out, I did hear something and it wasn't my own stomach...

"Uh oh," I heard Toothless utter.

The rumbling gradually intensified, growing stronger as the source of the noise drew closer.

From one of the corridors, stone began to buckle as an invisible force from underneath rapidly approach the center of the room.

I had a vague idea of what it was and I quickly forced my brother onto my back, this time he did not protest in the least.. I wish I had what Gobber and I had spent the better part of a week working, but now was not the time to regret that.

The force, once it reached the center of the room, began eatting away at the stone floor underneath it, forming a large pit. And from there, emerged the face of the Whispering Death. "You should have killed me! Let me die." The arrow that Toothless had stuck him with had been removed somehow, leaving behind a nasty, scarified ball of meat that had once been an eye ball. Surprisingly, there was also no trace of blood on his face, maybe he dunked it into the ocean or some river somewhere. "You will regret sparing me!"

"Grimmaw is still alive?" Thuggory shouted, almost surprised. He drew his sword out, even though it wasn't much help last time.

Hairy Scary Librarian drew two rune encrusted blades, his Heartslicers. "I told you it was too early to celebrate!" he shouted.

I felt my body lean forward, my muscles began tighten as I prepared myself. As much as I wanted to make peace with the dragon earlier, I knew now that the chances of that working out were slim; I had no choice but to fight or run. A part of me really wish my brother made him to bleed out like all the villagers claimed he did, but Whispering Deaths are known to be some of the toughest dragons for a reason. I readied to fight.

Toothless clung tightly to my neck.

* * *

**Vikings traveled ridiculously far. In both the books and the TV series, we have people going to the Americas or sailing around the world (repeatedly). This reflects what they have done in real life, often going to places their contemporaries never dreamed of. Can anyone guess what each item Hiccup listed out came from?**

**I've incorporated that in order to make this version of the Meathead Public Library, because the source material was a little nonsensical.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**One Point of View this time, it'll be clear who it belongs to momentarily. I will say, this chapter was satisfying to write, though I will warn that there's issues.**

**I want to know what you guys think about this, about what parts in this specific chapter really… got to you.**

**Please enjoy.**

* * *

I wish I had my invention. Okay, technically, it was Gobber's but I came up with the idea and had him put into paper… and had him get the ingredients… and actually make it…Okay, right, not human, no hands, but hey, it was still my idea.

And that idea would have been really handy to have every time I wanted to avoid something, like right now… I turned a corner and ran as fast as I could. Behind me, I could hear the sound of something, many somethings impacting against the wood and paper of the bookshelves and their contents. A barrage of spines, I think. That sound was then followed by a heavy crashing as something utterly massive ran through the shelf, the spine's owner.

"Hiccup!" I heard my brother cry, his hands just clamped tightly enough around my neck to prevent him from falling over from my harsh turns.

"Sorry, bud!" I yelled. "I'm getting us out of here!" I had to go as fast possible, the Whispering Death was catching up to me and my brother.

"Stand and face me coward!" the Whispering Death cried. As much as I knew that I had to fight him, I knew that doing so in a place like the inside of the Meathead Public Library left me too much of a disadvantage. Night Furies are not the strongest or toughest dragons and I just can't compete with a Whispering Death in those categories, that was just the simple fact. Couple that with the lack of freedom of movement and I was just asking to die.

For others, that problem wasn't nearly as bad; the Hairy Scary Librarian was the fastest man I had ever seen alive. He was seemingly everywhere, able to appear even in the most impossible, no, improbable conditions. No matter how fast or how far away the Whispering Death and I went, the Hairy Scary Librarian always somehow managed to find a way to appear directly in front of me every time I thought we managed to lose him entirely. Then half would just slash the Whispering Death with his twin swords, his Heartslicers, or he'd just stare at me, as if expecting me to do something. Either way, he kept appearing again and again. It's no wonder the Bog Burglars could never steal a book from the Meathead Public Library, not when they had a protector like him… I was really glad that he was on my side. Maybe I should apologize for the last time…

For a moment, I imagined how much easier it would have been if the Whispering Death had actually died by my brother's hands yesterday, but no, I can't really expect the gods or the universe to be easy on me. Which I am glad for, because I certainly relished the challenge and didn't mind at all about risking life and limb; it would have been too boring if all I had to do today was go to Library and check out a few books and get some translation work done. I mean, really, things were so dull earlier, the worst I had to put up with is people thinking I was Toothless's gallant steed or just his pet…Sometimes, I really wonder if every one might be right and I am actually cursed… beyond being a dragon, that is.

Taking a quick turn and listening to probably the rashest idea I had all day, I ran through a bookshelf, toppling it over; I cheered internally when I saw the main door, the way out within reach. Thuggory or his dad might get upset at me, but I think I'd rather have them chew me out or try chopping my head off later over getting skewered by hardened spines now… I just hoped Thuggory could catch up.

I dodged another volley and this time, I quickly turned around and sent a sphere of condensed plasma at my attacker. The Whispering Death staggered, the blow slightly knocking the wind out of him. Dragons might be near impervious to the fire of their relatives, but even then, the sheer force of a Night Fury's blast, of _my blast,_ was still fairly effective.

Turning my back to main door, I was about to blast the door open, but then I found the Hairy Scary Librian standing right in front of it. "You are on your own, _boy_!" he spat at me, clearly upset that I toppled over his charges. It was then I realized I lost what was possibly my most powerful ally…

I only glowered at him, my words being completely lost by him anyways. He walked off, now content to leave me to made fate now that he had the excuse he needed to stop aiding me. Great, good job Hiccup, you sure know how to make friends; all because of something you did two years ago…

Using what time I had left, I blasted the door open, much to the startled surprise of the guards outside. "Sorry!" I told them as I ran past them. They would have drawn their spears and swords at me, but I was too quick and they had a more important enemy to deal with.

"That's Grimmaw!" shouted one man. "He's alive!"

Unfortunately, I saw the Whispering Death plowed through them, not even so much as giving them an afterthought even when they struck at him or fired volleys of arrows. He _really_ wanted Toothless dead, but I wasn't going to let him.

I took to the skies, the wheatfields of Meathead island under my wings. Night Furies were faster in the air than any other kind dragon and I took advantage of that. Meanwhile, the Whispering Death chased after me, awkwardly and barely able to fly with his damaged wing. I felt lucky; uptil now, he seemed unable to blast fire or shoot spines at me, maybe being barely able to flying took too much of his attention.

If I really wanted to, I knew I could fly circles around him, but I knew I could never risk that. Toothless was still on my back, shivering and fearful. As it was, my brother was just barely able to hold on to me. If I flew too fast, I just knew that my brother would have worse problems than a bad leg. "What are we going to do?" my brother whimpered. But at the same time, I can't have him on my back, not with that dragon so determined to kill him.

I made up my mind, I had to get the dragon as far away from Toothless as I could."Something crazy," I told my brother, because this plan might just be the death of me… and him.

I dove straight towards the Meathead village, the Whispering Death just barely able to keep up with me. If Thuggory or Mogadon would feel insulted by my act of plowing through a bookshelf, then they'll think I had gone mad.

The first thing I did as I entered the Meathead village was to fly parallel and close to one of the many dirt roads that any typical village had. he villagers of the Meathead Tribe ran in startled panic once they had realized that a dragons overhead, duking it out. I scanned around, looking for the right props to set my plan into motion, but it was hard with all of the noise and distraction the village folk provided.

Eventually, I found my objective, a tall tower, similar to the familiar siege towers on Berk, was just ahead of me close by the docks. I flew toward it, my brother screaming in my ears, "He's gaining on us!"

The Whispering Death lunged at me, performing a boost of speed I hadn't realized he could do. Maybe he wasn't as injured as I thought he was, but that didn't matter. I darted out of the way and returned fire, twice, stunning him briefly enough to pull myself ahead.

As I neared the siege tower, I felt nervous, thinking that my plan would fail. One wrong move and Toothless would… I shook my head. No, not the time for that sort of thing. I took a closer at the tower, noting it seemed unmanned. Good, then the damage would be strictly located to buildings…

The Whispering Death screamed in anguished frustration, "You will not get away this time!" He dove at me wildly, his maw open, threatening to swallow me whole.

I was waiting for him to do that. A Night Fury's blast, while potent enough to down most other dragons, only just barely stunned the Whispering Death; several tons of stone and wood on the other hand…

Angling my neck just right, I blasted the side of the tower just right front of the Whispering Death's flight path, sending a good chunk of the tower in a roaring avalanche. A Whispering Death might have had the strongest armor among dragons, but that was no use. He disappeared, caught in my attack, but I knew better than to think he was gone.

My brother cheered, as if we had been victorious. "Take that!" But his mood darkened considerably once I started flying towards the ocean, just above the waves. "Wait… where are you going?

"Keeping you safe," I simply replied. Then, I turned upside down. Toothless, still holding onto my neck, dangled.

I actually expected he would scream, but instead he just said in a calm, collected tone, "You are so mean…" And then his grip slipped and he fell into Meathead Harbor.

I can't honestly say I didn't want to throw my brother into the harbor at some point, but I would have wanted to do that in situation when we were _not _facing mortal peril…Oh, Thor... Is this how the twins think? Oh, I really hope Toothless doesn't drown, did Dad or I ever give him swimming lessons? Human swimming lessons?

Returning myself to an upright flying position, I flew back over to the Meathead seige tower. The Whispering Death burst out from the pile of rubble, his spinning maw crushing thick rocks into a fine, sandy mass. "Night Fury!" he bellowed and went straight for me.

Turning around and heading for the opposite direction, I thought for a moment of how well my plan was working so far. After distracting him and then dumping off Toothless, he still followed me, probably thinking my little brother was still riding me. While I don't really know too much about how a Whispering Death's eyes worked, I did know that losing an eye might not be all that good for your vision. At the same time, I probably had Toothless's scent coated all over me, while his own scent was now being covered up by the ocean. My little brother was in no danger, now all I had to do was lure him back to Thuggory or run him into a group of Meatheads…

And then, suddenly, I felt a jolt of pain at the back of my tail. I quickly lost my balance and suddenly lost control. I fell onto the Meathead docks, sending frightened and previously unaware dockworkers and sailors scattering in every direction. The irony of crashing into a pier was not lost on me.

I flexed my tail over to my head, assessing the damage. My left tail fin was gone, sheared off violent, leaving a bloody mess at the base of my tail. A sudden, cold fear crept into my thoughts. For a moment, I thought I would never fly again, but then again, I thought I wouldn't walk again either.

I turned and looked at the approaching dragon, his still functioning eye managing to glare at me despite being pale while. "Downed means dead," he spat in a cruel, twisted echo of a saying Gobber would have said. He then sniffed the air, searching for what must have been Toothless scent. "Where is he?" he said in a cold tone.

I put my tail away and stood on all fours, readying myself for inevitable. I couldn't fly, not like this. My tailfin was damaged and I did not think I had enough time for a new one to regrow. There did not appear to be any other Meathead warriors or even just normal villager, so I was now on my own. I was stuck on the ground, forced to fight or die, with no backup against a superior foe… At least Toothless was not going to be seeing me go to Valhalla. "He's gone," I growled him, an actual threatening sound like what I would have thought a dog or really big cat could done. "You have to go through me first!"

"So, be it!" The Whispering Death lunged at me, once more, his gapping maw leading the charge. I sidestepped out of the way, letting my charge run smack-dab into a post.

I blasted him, point-blank with a sphere of condensed plasma. He recoiled, dazed for a moment.

Annoyed and confused, he lashed his tail at me, but I twisted my body around and used my tail to deflect his. For a moment, I imagined I was swinging a sword, parrying my opponent with my blade. Because Night Furies did not have weapons on their tails like some dragons such as Gronckles did, Toothless had once told me that we used ours as an emergency defense.

I backed away from my opponent as he recovered from my plasma blast. After my defeat yesterday, I learned that I had to keep moving; the Whispering Death could overpower me in a straight up melee and that I had better odds if I keep landing cheap shots whenever I could.

Then, before I realized it, the Whispering Death fired a volley of spikes at me. They struck my left foreleg, just barely missing my chest. The pain rocketed up my former arm, causing me to grit my teeth to hold back my own yelling. I saw that the Whispering Death seemed pleased with himself, as if he enjoyed inflicting me my pain. "Are you strong enough, _freak_?" he spat.

Taking advantage of my moment of weakness, he targeted my other foreleg with his spinning teeth. He knocked me down onto my back and lunged me. I just barely avoid having him eat my foreleg off by keeping his mouth pried open with all of my limbs forcing his jaws wide open, but that came at a cost, To prevent the loss of one limb, the Whispering Death's spinning teeth tore into my paws, making me feel like I was slowly being put into a meatgriner.

It was just like yesterday; I was pinned by the Whispering Death and he wanted nothing more than to eat me alive… I was scared of what might happen when my strength inevitably failed me, of what he would do to me if I even thought of trying to go out of his grip. I didn't know what awaited me if I died… would I be accepted into Odin's Hall despite my being a dragon or would I just suffer a different fate?

No, I couldn't think that; I had to live, I had to go home. I swallowed my fear and worry down my throat as I prepared one last, desperate attack. I gathered all of my remaining Breath, building it up in the center of my throat. Then, I let it go, letting it slam into the Whispering Death's face.

My ears popped and my vision was blinded by the intense light. It me a few seconds for the dizzy, spinning feeling my skull to wind down. Opening my eyes, I saw that the Whispering Death was was blown back a dozen feet off of me, stopped only when he ran crashing through a nearby wall.

Feeling exhausted, I pulled out the spines stuck in my foreleg with my teeth and began licking off my wounds. Was it over?

Of course not. The Whispering Death, taking just a little bit longer to recover, slithered out of the damaged building. His face was bloodied, mostly around the nostrils and where his damaged eye was. The sheer force of my plasma blast must have hurt him quite badly. Then, he laughed at me, positively thrilled. "More!" he demanded. "Fight me more! You wounded me!_"_

Before he could lunge at me, dozen Meatheads started pouring in, throwing whatever weapons that had against the dragon. "Take down Grimmaw! For the Meatheads!" yelled one man.

"Meaningless trash!" the Whispering Death yelled as he battled the advancing wave of Vikings. "You warriors are not worthy!"

While the Meatheads were off fighting the dragon, I catcher my breath. I felt so exhausted, so weary that I felt like I could collapse if I went even further. I gave him my best shot and all I managed to do was bloody him… Odin might know if he must be the toughest Whispering Death ever, because I had no other explanation.

Looking at my paws, I noted that they mostly healed, the majority of the damage having faded away, the small chunks of cut up or missing flesh patching themselves up. My tailfin was still missing, but I could tell the bleeding stopped. Really, I felt like this my only advantage against the Whispering Death and all it did meant that all I could really do was keep standing in his way…

So I decided to just that, because I clearly didn't learn my lesson. And people think I never took all that much after my father…

"Hey! Over here!" I taunted.

The Whispering Death was just about to bite through a man's body, but he tossed him aside, leaving the frightened man to scurry for his life. The rest of the Meatheads followed soon afterward, they didn't have a prayer. The Whispering Death seemed pleased to see me. "So you have the will to fight?" he asked.

I gritted my teeth in a fake smile. "Oh, I just like fighting," I lied. "Dad, can't keep me away from my training!" I was exhausted and I almost slipped on my leg as I stepped forward, but I knew I had to keep it up… Maybe I could trick him into thinking I had more fight left in me, make him think I had enough force to beat him handily and scale him off.. "That blast I did," I said with a wry grin. "I can do more, so you better run!"

The Whispering Death then gave me the closest thing he could manage to a smile with a round mouth and rows of teeth… it was frightening. "Excellent!" he declared. "Maybe you can finally end me! Let me die a Hero's Death! In Honor and Glory!" Suddenly, I understood what he wanted. Why he agitated a whole village, why he had been threatening my brother and mother, and why he looked so intently at facing me. He wanted to die. Why? I don't know, that's all that mattered.

Suddenly, my plan to scare him off didn't seem like it was going to work.

I immediately came to regret my bluff when the Whispering Death came at me yet again, with more ferocity and speed than he had shown before. I kept stepping back, narrowly avoiding every lunge, only for the dragon to quickly coil up and then launch another attack.

Yet I knew I was only delaying what was inevitable. I could only evade or take whatever he gave; I had no chance to attack. The Whispering came at me from every direction, never giving me the time I needed to catch my breath or draw in my Breath. I was wearing down quickly, each step back I took made the next one harder and harder to pull off.

The only reason I was still even standing now because of that rush warriors talked about in when in life or death situations and even that feeling was starting to get dull.

I needed to do something. Taking a leap of faith, I quickly slapped the Whispering Death with my tail, aggitating his bad eye enough to disorient him. He staggered slightly and I needed to advantage of that.

Then I don't know what came over me. In the back of my head, I was planning yet another retreat, another escape to catch my breath so I could continue fighting… Instead, I did something very different: I rammed into him, tackling him onto the ground and pinning him flat on his back, the reverse of pretty much the usual situation.

My teeth were extended and I began to violently try taking bites at the other dragon's head, sometimes managing to draw blood. Meanwhile, my limbs flailed violently, the claws scratching the limbless dragon as he struggled to escape.

I have no idea how long the Whispering Death was at my mercy, but eventually he managed to escape when he bloodied my face with a cheap jab. "You would have made a fine warrior!" he cheered once he was free. We both circled each other, standing a fair distance away, ready, mostly ready to go at it again.

He looked like a mess, not like I was not much better. There were a couple dozen welts and scratches everywhere on each of us, most of them minor, but each had small goblets of drop dripping forth.

With the rush of emotions and what must have been… instinct fading away, I suddenly started feeling terrible again. My limbs hurt from all the scratches I took when I was standing atop the Whispering Death's spiny body. Aside from that, I knew I was quickly approaching my limit. My body might have been able to quickly recover from injuries, but that did not mean I was going for last much longer.

And then, someone else approached us. He was a tall man, with a blonde beard and an odd helmet. Blinking away the weariness, I realized he wasn't wearing a helmet so much as a metallic… Wait, was that Bucket? I wanted to roar out a shout to ward him off, but all that came out was a half-hearted, half-exhausted whimpering noise. I held my breath. There was plenty of Vikings who were seriously hurt today, but I had a sinking feeling he would be the first casualty under my command; it would be _my fault _ he got hurt.

To my stunned surprise and the surprise of any Meatheads who were close enough to watch, the Whispering Death slithered _away from the _approaching Viking. "Stay away!" he growled in a tone that would have been clear to anyone, regardless of language.

But to Bucket, he didn't seem to notice or even care that he was approaching a dangerous man eater. The Whispering Death kept grumbling and backing away, seemingly afraid to approach this man.

As he drew closer, Bucket pulled out something from his vest, a glass jar filled with some sort of yellowish substance and a wooden spoon. Removing the lid, he took the spoon plunged it in and pulled it out, taking a small chunk of the yellowy goop from the jar, honey, I think. Then, he took the spoon of honey and raised it towards the Whispering Death.

In response, the dragon backed away, as if the spoon was the most dangerous sword imaginable. "You don't belong here!" he cursed.

"You've got a lot more cuts since the last time I've seen you…" said Bucket. The Whispering Death just stood frozen, seemingly terrified as the Viking man took the spoonful can placed it over the dragon's bleeding face.

I saw the Whispering Death give an almost… mournful look. "Leave me…" he said, but this time, it was only a whimper, like he was not really sure if he wanted Bucket gone.

Bucket didn't seem to care. He then took out a cloth rag and began mopping up the blood all over the dragon's face. Meanwhile, he began rubbing the honey over the wounds. I vaguely remembered that honey was a great way to seal up bleeding, because the sap hardened and trapped blood.

Me and a couple dozen Meathead warriors just stood there, trying to understand what we were seeing. The Whispering Death as far as we knew was a crazed dragon, to see him... like this seemed almost dream like, unreal. Why was he still? Just why was Bucket able to stop him from fighting? I tried that and that got Toothless sent to the healer's hut.

Then, I recalled the dreams I've been having recently, the ones that shown me glimpses of the past, using some of Mom's memories. Now that I thought about it, wasn't there a man there who wanted to give a golden helmet to a friend of his… one that, now that I thought about it, sounded vaguely like Bucket?

"I'm not going to leave you…you got hurt bad last time," said Bucket as he continued to treat the dragon's wounds. Come to think of it, it was odd that the Whispering Death was missing the arrow Toothless lodged into his eye. Removing an arrow from anywhere was difficult, the arrow tips are usually designed in such a way to prevent them from just being pulled out without causing more damage; it would have been impossible without hands… though, now I wonder if Bucket also got doctoring skills because of his head injury or even how he knew.

"I don't need your help," said the Whispering Death in a whisper.

On the tip of my tongue, a single name came to me, one that I couldn't really speak as a dragon. "Donnar," said Bucket in an almost parental, scolding tone. Maybe, I'm a little slow, but it's only now that I fully realized that the Whispering Death, the very dragon that my brother had been terrified of much of his life, had once been in my Mother's crew. I had it practically said to me a couple of times and it just didn't fully register until it was right in my face.

The Whispering Death, no, Donnar, seemed to crumple into himself, almost ashamed. A sudden chill ran down my spine, a cold realization at how things might have turned out if things were different. This man had suffered probably the worst out of anyone who had been transformed. He didn't have arms, legs… friends for maybe fourteen years. It's no wonder he wanted to die so badly; he wanted to go to Valhalla. I had a sinking feeling that if things happened differently, I might have been itching to go to Valhalla myself…

Blinking, I looked at Donnar again. He stopped struggling, almost accepting of Bucket's aid after having been forced into it. "You need to be more careful, you always get yourself hurt," Bucket said, as if this conversation happened a thousand times before.

For a moment, it was as if the Whispering Death seemed… at peace, like, he just felt like everything was going to be alright. Maybe, I can end this without further bloodshed, maybe I can help this man.

I steeled myself and approached Donnar. The Whispering Death's mood immediately changed into a growl and probably might have leapt at me if Bucket had not had his hand on the dragon's nose; it was if that single limb had all the strength it needed to hold back several tons of angry meat. "What do you want?" the dragon hissed.

"To help you!" I said in as calm and collected a tone as I could manage…. which probably involved me making an awkward face with all my teeth sticking out.

"Help?" Donnar sneered. "What kind of help?" He was skeptical.

"You're not the only one who's cursed," I told him. "There plenty of others back home who've suffered just as bad!"

Donnar looked at Bucket, wanting to consider his friend's counsel, but he didn't respond. He spat and curse, his mood definitely souring when he realized that he couldn't speak to his old friend. "What are you getting at?" He clearly didn't trust me.

"I want to help you!" I said. Well, mostly out of pity. I'm a little angry at him for nearly killing my brother and probably ate a dozen Meatheads... and more, but maybe he was just having a bad day, er, fourteen years.

Donnar seemed to consider me for a moment, as if he was weighing the options. He looked closely at Bucket, as the man kept putting more spoonfuls of honey on the dragon's face. I suddenly knew my way in, "You can spend more time with him! Don't you want to return home with him?"

The Whispering Death blinked. Yes, I had his attention now. "Maybe…" he stuttered, a look of what could only have been hope on his eyes.

"Hey, maybe, we can all go home…" Bucket suggested, as if he came up with the idea himself. I felt like I must have had a beaming grin on my face. Things were going to be alright.

Which is why a split second later things went horribly wrong.

One moment, the Whispering Death was there, standing by his old friend with anticipation. The next, he was on the ground, an arrow immbeded into his side. He screamed at me, "You tricked me!"

Turning from where the arrow came from, I saw Thuggory brandishing a bow and a big grin. "We got him!"

"It was over!" I shouted at him, only to slap myself with my own tail when I realized he couldn't understand me.

Thuggory ran up towards me, tossing aside his bow in favor of a sword. The once stunned Meatheads warriors let him through, then surrounded us all, their shields raised as if we were still expecting a fight. Bucket tried to shield his down friend, and at the same time, I went to face Thuggory. "Good job!" the Meathead Heir shouted towards me.

I wanted to feel so angry at my so-called ally, but at the same time, could I really blame him? He might not have realized that I was about to settle a peace and thought we were still fighting. The dragon language is made up of calls that to most people sound more or less the same to most humans. 'IT WAS OVER!' I wrote to him in the dirt.

"Yeah, you're right!" agreed Thuggory, for all the wrong reasons. "Hey, why don't you handle the last blow? You're the one who fought Grimmaw the most!"

'HIS NAME IS 'DONNAR'!' I wrote in response.

Thuggory gave me a look, as if I told him a joke that he wasn't familiar with. I snorted, a puff of smoke coming out from my nostrils. It's time's like this that really make me wonder why it hasn't sunk in that any potential dragon could have once been human.

I was about to write something again, but then the Whispering Death's body began to shimmer and glow. A familiar, green fire erupted from the shaft of the arrowhead and engulfed the dragon. He screamed, as if he was burning through his flameproof scales.

'MY ARROWS?' I hastily scrawled. I wanted to write a full sentence, but I knew better than that.

Thuggory gave a wry smile, as if satisfied to watch a dragon burn. "Well, yeah, took them from the table and I had to find a bow, but…" His smile turned into an expression of shock.

Turning back to the burning Whispering Death, I could see that he had… shrunk, turning from a massive several ton dragon to a one ton Viking man. His features much the same as they were over a dozen years ago… at least, that's what I originally thought before I realized that his entire body was covered in old faded scars and fresh wounds. His bad eye was still mostly a dead orb, but now, the injuries that were only scratches to him a Whispering Death now seemed to have become horrifically large welts from sword cuts. Yet, what baffled me the most was an old scar, the mark my Mom left on him when she defended Toothless nearly over a decade ago. Surprisingly, it became an injury the seemed like it came from a human rather than a Night Fury.

"Donnar?" asked Bucket, concerned for his friend.

Donnar choked a little, his voice sounded raspy as if he hadn't had anyone to speak to in an eternity. "I have hands…" He didn't seem to notice Bucket speak at all and instead, he began flexing and moving his newly returned arms. It seemed almost as if he forgot how limbs even worked since they practically moved all over the place.

Thuggory and his warriors just stood there, frozen and disbelieving. None of them expected a dragon to turn into a man; I certainly didn't back when I met Toothless. "Hiccup…" Thuggory slurred.

'LET ME HANDLE IT,' I wrote to him.

The Meathead Heir nodded in reply, probably still unsure of what's going on. "Alright. Stand back men!" he shouted at those under his command.

I approached the former Whispering Death a little closer. He seemed almost mesmerized that the curse upon him was finally broken, almost e was bursting with… joy, pure and simple relief, not the sadistic pleasure he took when he fought me. Bucket shared the same emotion, wondering as if a long lost friend could return home. "Is it over?" he rasped, "Could I return home?"

I thought about that for a moment. I'd have to explain it to Thuggory and make some reparations here and there to the families that the Whispering Death ravaged, but overall, I don't think there'd be too much problem. The curse was lifted, maybe it'll be even easier to return him; I could almost say 'yes'. I blinked. Donnar started yelping, as if he was in great pain.

I saw the man's now recently returned legs start to dissolve just before had to chance to ever use them. He started to gag as rows of sharp pointed teeth too big for his mouth started growing all the way to his tongue. The curse was reasserting itself, just like with Roland!

The Meatheads and I could only flinch away, unsettled and disgusted. Thuggory, too, took a step back, but held his sword up just in case.

And then, the soon-to-be Whispering Death gurgled something, something that immediately me very, very unsure of what I should do. "Kill me!" Several men, including Thuggory, had their weapons drawn out, looks of pity and uncertainty on their faces. Most of them stayed put, but a few approached, considering for a moment if they wanted to respect the man's wishes.

For a moment, I thought that maybe I could do the most good by doing as he wanted, slaying him. But then, I realized… I couldn't do that. Now, it wasn't that I had no mean to kill with, I could have easily bit of his still mostly human head or roasted him alive using the small amount of Breath in my chest before either turned enough to make those things impractical. It's just, I couldn't bring myself to harm him; I didn't want to do that, not when he was at my mercy. "I want to help you! I don't want to kill you!" I shouted in response.

Donnar, still able to understand me, yelled back, "Then kill me! Kill me before I turn back!"

"No, I'm not! You don't have to die!"

"I have to! I don't want to spend the rest of my days as a beast!" Donnar's skin started hardening, turning into a dirty gray carapace. His injuries, the scratches I gave him mostly stayed the same size and shape, but their relative severity drastically decreased as the former Viking's body

"We aren't beasts!" I pleaded.

Donnar's still functioning eye, in the early stages of being with cataracts, narrowed on to me. "You're just like your mother," he said in nearly guttural Norse. "You two have contented yourselves to live as a Honorless monsters!"

Thuggory almost brought down his sword on the former Viking, but I glared at him just in the nick of time. He dropped his sword and stared at me as if… afraid. Maybe I must have been glaring hard or maybe he was listening carefully to the dragon's words.

Shaking my head, I turned back to the Whispering Death. I thought of his words for a moment and then made my reply. "Do you think your honor is intact?" I said in a cold yet angry tone. I wanted to help, but suddenly, I felt a little less sympathetic. Normally, I don't think I would have taken much offense of anyone saying I didn't have any much in the way of Honor or even Glory, but I just couldn't stand it when he brought up my Mom. I didn't really know her all that much but can anyone easily keep a straight face when someone you didn't know insulted your family? Something in me flared up.

The mostly-Whispering Death's maw clenched, still forming like clay was being reshaped. He looked at me, despite the fact his still functioning eye was almost completely milk white.

"I understand that life has been hard for you ever since you were separated from my Mom, but that doesn't mean you should kill yourself!"

"I must die!" Donnar said in gutteral roars. He was far too dragon around his neck to speak Norse now. "I must be chosen!"

"Look around you!" I roared. Frightened villagers and cautious warriors who didn't know what else to do other than stand and watch gathered around. "Look at what you've done! You attacked these people and for what? To anger them enough to find someone able to face you in battle? Does that sound honorable to you?" As far as I knew, while the brave and powerful were often selected to go to Valhalla, being noble, honorable really improved your odds of getting in.

"But- I… I refuse to be one of those… creatures! They attack our homes, you would neve-" Of course, he was talking about dragons.

To which a replied, "_My Kin_ have more honor than you." I told him, using the only words I knew he could understand. Of course, I wasn't talking about all dragons, but I had an idea I could at least call some like Meatlug or even Hookfang 'Kin' without it being… wrong.

The Whispering Death stopped struggling, stilled as if my words had trapped him in ice. I don't know what he was thinking, but I continued.

"I'm not going to kill you," I told him, my tone flatter, more restrained now that I got most of my resentment out of the way. "I'm giving you a choice, you can either let us help you or you can leave."

Bucket looked longingly at his friend as if he understood my ultimatum. He took a step forward, wanting to give the mostly-Whispering Death a reassuring touch.

But then, the mostly dragon-Viking turned and half-slithered and half-ran towards the ocean.

Thuggory gave an order for his men to stop him, but by then it was too late; Donnar had escaped into the sea, vanishing beneath the waves. Everyone could only stare out into the ocean.

Bucket wept buckets and almost as if on cue, white snowflakes fell upon the land. It almost felt like the sky itself felt the man's grief and poured down its own frozen tears.

Off to the side, I could see Toothless approach, escorted by Mulch and wearing a soggy looking towel. He approached me silently, giving me a frown. At least he was fine, if a little angry at me, though for what? Thuggory eyed my brother, appearing to consider him a little more intently than he ever had before.

Easing up, I just felt a little cold, a little weary, and very, very hungry. I just wanted to go back to bed or maybe feast on a barrel of tuna.

A couple of men, most of them unarmed villagers started cheering me on, saying that it was because of me that the Whispering Death was gone. I was a hero in their eyes, but I didn't feel like one.

I failed to save someone today.

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**This, I feel like might be the saddest piece of fiction I wrote in a long while. While, I don't think it's a Greek tragedy bad, it clearly has several of the accosiated elements, such as major turning points in events denying what could have originally been a "good ending".**

**I've been feeling I haven't been giving Hiccup some major character development at least in relation to Toothless as of late. This is my way of making up for it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**Another chapter, this time, a little more traditional for my style.**

**Anyways, I got some new cover art for this story, again by CAN07, if you didn't know. Be sure to thank him too.**

**Hope you all enjoy this.**

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A tail is a strange thing, it is always behind me, usually out of sight, yet it is still very much a part of me. I could order it to twist and turn about as well as I could coordinate any one of my legs. For me, it's not all that useful on the ground. Maybe it's because I grew up not having one, but I sometimes knock something off a table if I am not being overly careful, not that I fared much better without a tail. But for a Night Fury, a tail was practically essential, like a rudder to a ship, and mine was broken.

I sat there in there, placing the end of my tail in a hearth. The fire didn't really do anything for me, but the warmth felt like it was rejuvenating the delicate membrane, which I felt like I needed a little extra of considering how badly I damage it. Earlier today, I ended up losing one side of my tailfin, an entire section just sheared off. If I had been a normal dragon, the injury would have crippled me for life, grounding me for potentially forever, but as my life kept constantly reminding me, I was anything but normal. The sheared off section of my tailfin was slowly regrowing, almost like a how I once saw how a damaged leaf slowly regrew. Right now, the smaller portion of my tail grew to about half the size of the undamaged side. At this rate, I could be ready to fly in no time.

Next to me, sat Toothless, dressed up in as many furs and buckskins as Bucket or Mulch could manage to find. He looked like a giant mound of carpets with a small head sticking out. He was huddling as close to the fire as he could without setting himself ablaze. His teeth clattered and rang, his shivering being so intense I thought his name might suddenly be more literal than I originally thought. "How… Do… You… Deal… With… This...COLD!?" he exclaimed, his mouth rattling.

I gave him a small smirk. Earlier, snow fell upon the Meathead island and now my brother was experiencing his first winter as just an ordinary boy, without fancy things like insulting scales or insides that always feel like warm campfire; I probably wouldn't have realized just how chilly it had been if it weren't for the blanket of white outside the building or the clattering of my little brother's teeth. "Just learn to endure it," I told him. Hopefully, he could learn to cope within the next few days, I mean, no one else seemed to having as bad as a reaction as him.

My brother gave me a look that probably would have been a little more serious if his teeth weren't shaking. "Your...Fault…" Earlier today, I dropped him into Meathead Harbor, just before the snow hit. He hadn't been there long, but afterwards, he started complaining about the cold, even though it had been several hours since Mulch pulled him out.

"Okay, fine, I'll admit that dropping you into an ice cold sea is a bad idea." I told him. "But look on the brightside, you still have all your toes."

"Thanks…" he groaned. "How...Long...This…Lasts?"

"The whole winter," I said, being a little nonchalant about it. To be fair, it should have been a little self-evident, right? I mean, even dragons had to know that. "Sometimes it lasts into early spring."

"The...Whole… Winter…" he said bitterly, as if he had been hoping for a different answer like, a 'week'.

"And it gets colder," I added, just to get on his nerves.

He snorted, "Great…"

Then, I saw Toothless eye something at the edge of the room. It was a black cloak, hanging upon a coat rack. It was a gift from our missing grandfather, who everyone just called 'Old Wrinkly'. While I haven't seen him in years, my brother and I recently discovered that cloak in his house, hidden away in some underground section. When Toothless wore it, it turned back into a Night Fury. "You could always use it," I offered. "It'd certainly be warmer…" The cloak was damaged though; it only transformed Toothless part of the way ever since Alvin attacked Berk.

Toothless scowled, as if the idea suddenly didn't seem so appealing when I recommended it. "I… Will…Endure..." he shivered.

I sighed. Well, it was worth a try. Toothless had a problem putting it on, mostly because the last time he wore it, his old teacher died saving him. I imagine he thought things might have have ended a bit differently if the cloak didn't temporarily turn into a dragon, so he tried destroying it, just so he could avoid the temptation to do it again. It probably was the wiser to destroy it, but a part of me wondered about what would happen if I fixed it…

We both sat in silence, the conversation dying before either of us realized it; was fine with that, I had something else far more important for us to discuss. After fighting and discovering who the Whispering Death was, I felt tired, weary, as if my body was still exhausted from the battle. I came to realize something about my condition, something that Toothless deserved the right to know. I hoped I had the right words for this. I draped over my wing over Toothless, getting his attention and a reluctant smile. "Toothless..." I began.

"Yeah…" he said.

And then suddenly, I heard a heavy knock on the door. My brother and I turned and listened to the newcomer as he spoke, "It's Thuggory!"

"Come in!" replied my brother. "Door's unlocked!"

Thuggory came bursting into the room, hefting a small barrel and a several bags over his shoulder. He slumped down next to me, dropping the things he carried nearby. "Brought you two grub," he said, placing the barrel close.

"Grub?" Toothless questioned, looking a little queasy.

"I mean food," Thuggory corrected.

Toothless's eye perked up. "Food," he said dreamily, not even shivering. It was like the mere mention made him somehow warmer.

I saw Thuggory's eyes narrow, as if wondering something about my little brother, but that got interrupted from a rumble that shook the room.

"Sorry…" I told him, even though he couldn't understand, but I imagine that he _understood _me. I skipped breakfast and lunch earlier, but I couldn't ignore my stomach forever.

"Right…" Thuggory said. He uncapped the barrel and a salty smell wafted out. Maybe I was imagining it, but I think something might have been slipping out of my mouth. He also opened one of the many bags he brought along. The smell didn't appeal to me as much as the fish did, but Toothless leapt out of his fortress of bearskin rugs and discarded fur blankets.

"Bread!" Toothless shouted. He snatched the bag Thuggory held in his hands and pulled out a loaf of freshly baked bread. Toothless took hungry bites, quickly devouring it before moving onto the next loaf. Now, he didn't seem at all cold anymore, as if the warmth of the bread was enough for him.

Thuggory looked at my brother, as if considering something, then looked right at me. I don't know why, but ever since my fight with the Whis- Donnar, the Meathead Heir had been giving him odd looks, maybe it was something the former Viking had said. He didn't say anything about that though, not when he was present. "I'm surprised they're still warm," he said.

Toothless seemed to ignore him, content to eat through an entire bag of baked goods.

I took out a small plank from nearby the hearth. It was handy, because anything I wrote would also help keep the fire up. 'THEY LEAVE YET?' I wrote.

Thuggory seemed to consider it for a moment. "Well, your ships left the harbor before it froze over. Crazy weather, right?" I nodded, that was good. I had asked Mulch and Bucket to travel back to Berk with the fleet Dad sent me, mostly because I didn't want them stranded until the winter season was over. The only reason Toothless and I stayed behind was because I still had to wait until tomorrow for the Hairy Scary Librarian finished translating the Latin parts of parts of my book and my brother was not leaving me. I got the feeling that the only reason I was staying over night was because I flattened a bookshelf in the Library.

Toothless gulped down another loaf of bread, apparently the last one inside. He seemed full, as if he was about to burst. "Ugh… Thanks, Thuggory," he said, putting himself back into his collection of furs. For a moment, I wondered if my brother would put himself into an eating coma, but his eyes remained open, if a little weary.

The Meathead Heir seemed hesitant for a moment, unsure how to act. "Sure…" He then got up and promptly walked to the exit. "I'll be right back, maybe sometime later," he told me, giving a small glance at Toothless. My brother didn't notice it, but I got the message, he wanted to talk to me… without my brother present. Hopefully he could be back by the time Toothless fell asleep, if not, we'd probably have to meet in the early morning, emphasis early.

I wasn't sure why Thuggory didn't trust my brother like he used to, but I did at least need to trust him, especially since I only made it this far with his help. I nodded, letting the Meathead Chief walk into a snowstorm.

Turning to my brother, it looked like Toothless was out cold. It was such a shame, I wanted to talk to him, when my thoughts were still a little fresh. Maybe, I'd have a second chance, sometime later, maybe we can talk in my dreams. I didn't bring that up with the Hairy Scary Librarian, but I think I had a good idea of why this sort of thing was happening to me anyways.

Shaking my head, I backed away from my brother. I took my tailfin out of the fire, flicking a stuck ember away. The healing part of my tail had grown slightly, enough for me to wonder if I could… do a little something with Toothless once he woke up, it was the least I could do.

I turned back to the barrel Thuggory opened, it was full of fish, that much I could tell. My stomach gave a harsh rumble and I knew it wouldn't forgive me if I passed out a meal at a time this. Giving in, I decided maybe I could do a little more with what I was given.

Since the barrel was quite small, I lifted the barrel with my mouth and tilted it just enough to spill its entire contents right in front of me. Then, I threw the empty barrel away. I was about to pluck one of the fish with my paw, but I stopped myself. For a moment, I wondered to myself if I was doing right thing. Then I realized how silly I was being; dragons didn't use their front limbs to eat with, so that meant I shouldn't either. Toothless was right. A dragon worrying about 'table manners'? That was just odd.

I bent my neck over, down into the pile of scattered fish. I didn't bother with carefully lifting each fish and taking slow and deliberate bites. In fact, I didn't so much as bite as much as I simply used my teeth to pick up every morsel before I swallowed.

"Hiccup?" I heard my brother say just as a trout entered my esophagus.

I turned to him. He was a still awake, his eyes a little weary from the cold, but not shivering like before.

"You're not… eating correctly," he stammered. At least he wasn't shivering.

I needed to harden myself. I don't know if he would… really understand what I was going through. "I am," I contested, baring my teeth in a semi-smile. "It's how Stormfly and the other eat when she's in her true form."

I saw my brother blush and nearly stumble back at the mention of a certain Nadder. He corrected himself and sat upright, facing me again. "But that's not how _you_ eat!" he said.

My smile faded. Well, he was definitely paying attention then. I glowered and approached him. "Well, it's going to be how I'll have to eat from now on…" I said, rolling the barrel of fish away.

"Hiccup, is something… wrong?" he said, before realization dawned on his eyes. "It's… about the Whispering Death, isn't it?"

I nodded; I wouldn't be having this conversation, if it weren't for today's events. I had to tell Toothless… and maybe my Dad about it.

"But what does that have to do with you deciding to just… eat so sloppily?" my brother was exasperated.

"You've been trying to get me to eat 'properly'ever since...my body stopped changing," I pointed out. I was going to say something about Mom, but Toothless didn't exactly like talking about her all that much.

My brother blushed, a little ashamed. "Hiccup…" he groaned."This is serious."

"Because talkin about my eating habits is completely serious," I said. Shaking my head, I decided now, I should just tell him. "I've decided that… if I can't find a way to change back, I'll be happy living as… one of _our Kin."_

My brother blinked his eyes, as if he was trying to disbelieve me."What are you saying?" Toothless yelled, clearly angry and confused.

"What I'm saying is...Toothless, what if I never could change myself back?"

"But Hiccup, we got the the Hairy Scary Librarian to help… I mean, he only glared at you half the time! We're getting the book translated and some help to let us learn some of this crazy magic that got us in this mess in the first place. We can turn turn you back!" Toothless insisted.

"I know, I know," I told him. "But what if we can't?"

My brother frowned, silent and waiting for me to explain myself.

I continued, I placed my right paw over my heart. "What if I stay like this forever?"

My brothers frown deepened, but then it shifted neutral expression. "You just gestured to all of you…"

I don't know what happened, but the solemn and collected feel I was trying to present instantly evaporated, as if my brother's off handed comment doused me in metaphorical water. I barely had the strength to suppress a chuckle and stop my wagging tail from thumping on the floor boards. "Toothless..." I stammered.

Toothless faced turned back to a frown and his head turned downward. Good going, Hiccup, now you're adding being a terrible brother to your list of things the gods will punish you for in your next life time.

"I'm just… scared," I admitted. Toothless seemed a little confused by what I had said, as if what I said might have been impossible for him to believe. "It's like you said, it's about the Whispering Death… I just don't want to end up like him."

I thought back to the Whispering Death, to Donnar. In the earliest memory I seen of him, he was just a normal Viking, a simple sailor. Now years later, he was twisted and bitter at the fate that was bestowed on him, he was a twisted and bitter, almost like some relentless beast, under some delusion that he was acting like a sane and rational man. I could have easily become like that, even without having turned into a dragon and for a moment, I wondered if somewhere down the line, that fate might still happen to me.

Toothless must have been thinking the same thing I was, because when I broke free from my thoughts, his gaze was turned directly to the fire in deep contemplation. I gave him a little time to think things through, then I continued. "If I have to live as… one of our Kin." I really wish Meatlug would come up with some words we could use to substitute for 'dragon', but apparently, it was hard for the Gronckle. Still, I continued. "If had to be like this forever, I'd accept it."

"You mean… you won't find a way turn back?" my brother questioned, still a little confused. That was fine, I was still having a hard time believing I was choosing this.

"No," I replied. "I'm just saying, if I couldn't change back, then I'll accept my fate…be like our Kin. Well, maybe I won't live in caves or raid settlements, but maybe I could do some good, use my new form and ability to help other. Maybe I can try something crazy like create a Flight for all the others, but without all the 'Hunting'."

"Maybe do some good…" my brother moaned. "Maybe try something crazy…" Toothless shook his head. His eyes seemed a little heavier now, the weariness might have gotten to him at last.

"You should sleep," I recomended. "We can talk later."

My brother nodded. "I'll… catch you later," he said. He then laid on his side and grabbed as many furs as he could hold on to. Soon, it was like he surrounded himself in a giant cocoon of animal skins. My little brother fell asleep, practically dead to the world.

* * *

I felt my teeth clatter, the unbearable cold some how managing to pierce my fortress of heavy furs. How Vikings managed to get through the winter without freezing to death in their own beds was beyond me, but now, I was really wishing I took up my brother's offer… or had him by my side.

Wearily, I blinked my eyes a few times and gave a silent groan of protest. I realized I had awoken from my dreams, just when I was in the best part, too. In my dreams, I was older, maybe twenty-ish, and I had a flaming sword in one hand and a gold plated crossbow in the other. I was battling an army of dragons and men single handled, not even breaking a sweat and just about to storm my enemy's home base. Really, it was just one of those dreams where I had a little wish fulfillment and was all powerful and could do anything I wanted…Everyone had those dreams from time to time. What I find odd though was that the first time I ever imagined myself growing up to be a... Viking, a strong man; up til now, I've only really dreamt about of how I would have been if I was a... Knight, a dragon.

Shaking my head. Well, at least it was a good dream, not a nightmare or one of those weird situations where my brother and I shared a dream. It's not that I didn't like my brother, but sometimes, I feel weirded out whenever we do that, especially if it has anything to do with mother… I just, don't like seeing those things, they bothered me.

My body felt a little refreshed, but still a little weary. The room was dark, the hearth in the center of the room was dim, on its last steps, just barely enough to radiate faint warmth. I figure since it was still dark, maybe just before down, I might as well go straight back to slumber and get as much sleep as I could.

But I froze once I heard a voice speaking right behind me. "I still don't don't trust him," it was Thuggory.

Then, I heard something faint, like wood being lightly grazed.

"Look, I'm just saying, don't you think it's kinda odd the Whispering Death managed to follow you to the Library?" I heard Thuggory say again. For a moment, I imagined that the Meathead Heir was having a conversation with himself, but that just didn't make sense; he was talking to someone. Who was it?

Then I heard that wood scratching sound again, was someone… writing something on wood? Taking a chance, I quietly turned my head around. I saw Hiccup scrawling something on a plank for Thuggory to read. Oh, right, I must still be a little drowsy…

The two of them were right across me from the central hearth, discussing in the dim light of the fire. They didn't seem notice me, both having their gazes pointed at the fire. I quickly decided not to bother then, only… listen in, hear if something catches my attention.

The Meathead Heir sighed. "Yeah, I know you trust him, but… well, the whole incident with Grimmaw, eh, Donnar has me wondering about him…"

Were they talking about Bucket? I mean. Sure, I know that that he tried to treat his old friend, but I can't honestly say I blame him… and I've had nightmares about his old friend for ages. He didn't deserve to have people look at him suspiciously, his friend on the otherhand...

My brother scrawled something. I couldn't read it, not from where I was. I think I saw Thuggory roll his eyes before tossed the wooden plank into the dying fire. "Hiccup… I think your brother might be, I don't know a spy."

I think my heart froze over and immediately, I turned back on my side, hoping they didn't notice I was even awake. Thuggory didn't trust me? What did I do? Was that why he's been giving me all of those odd looks today? I just thought he was worried about me, not worried _due to me_!

Then, I heard Hiccup write something in response. I couldn't tell if he was angry or was upset or anything at all, not without exposing myself.

"I don't know how you can be so trusting," muttered Thuggory. "Look, I'm just saying, Donnar said something about your Mom before he fled. I don't know what, but becoming an 'Honorless monster' sends up a very big red flag."

I heard Hiccup give a snort before writing some more.

"I know the guy was crazy… really crazy, but what exactly happened to your Mom? She was gone for most of your life you know and then boom, suddenly, you have a little brother; I don't need to tell that's a little bit fishy…I think your brother, if he is your brother, he might be hiding something from you." As Thuggory said that, I heard myself gulp, just barely quite enough for them not to hear. I came a little late to today's fight; I didn't know there was something said about my mother.

I heard Hiccup write something. I really hoped it was the words 'It's better you don't know'. I didn't want to tell Thuggory everything, especially not about the fact I nearly burned down the Library all those months ago or that my brother and I were related to one of the reason dragon raids are so effective. I mean, sure Hiccup has turned into a Night Fury, but no one's honestly realized all the Night Furies in the Barbaric Archipelago are related to each other. I… didn't want him to know. If he did, I just might lose… an ally, maybe something more.

Thankfully, it didn't seem Thuggory was told. "Fine, you don't have to tell me." he grunted. "I'll trust you...for now." I gave a sigh of relief, one major political disaster averted.

Then I heard my brother scribe something yet again. He was right, writing was annoying; I couldn't tell what he was telling to Thuggory. I heard the sound of footsteps getting farther away.

I turned wondering what Hiccup and the Meathead Heir were planning. I caught a glimpse of the two of them retreating to the far corner of the room, barely visible in the dim lighting. They were walking to a large box, that secret project between my brother and my teacher. It was left behind when the sailors were putting the final preparations on their leaving.

Thuggory took out a hammer, a work hammer, and undid the nails, opening the container. I couldn't see what was in it, but I think I saw… hay inside. No, that can't be right. There was something else, that much I knew.

Thuggory almost turned to look back at me, but I turned around and pretended I was still sleeping."So… you want me to help you get this on?" I heard him say.

I held my breath for… Loki, I think, knows how long. Thuggory and Hiccup didn't say anything, but I heard noises, mostly the sound of iron buckles being tightened.

Then before I knew it, Thuggory was walking out the front door. "Well, I'll catch you later…" he said. "Let me just say, you are one odd dragon, Hiccup." My brother snorted, dismissively, and the Meathead Heir was then gone.

With him gone, I decided now would be a good time to try going back to actual sleep, before Hiccup suspects that I… Then, I felt something… wet brush against the side of my face, drool. I gagged,

"So, how long were you awake?" Hiccup told me, questioned me.

"When you were talking about me," I groaned. Wiping my brother's spit off my face. A part of me realized that I shouldn't be too grossed out by having a dragon's saliva on my face, but maybe it was just because it was Hiccup the one doing the licking. I asked him, "How'd you know?"

"You were too quiet," my brother said. "Your teeth were rattling until you awoke."

I turned to him, frowning. felt little foolish. I would never have thought that in my attempt to be stealthy would be exactly what _gave me away_. "What are you wearing?" I asked.

My brother was wearing this odd getup, something almost vaguely reminiscent of a vest or maybe a girdle but made entirely of leather. Straps and buckles ran through his front, keeping the getup firmly secure. On the back, I could see the leather was made somewhat thicker, moulded on the area just on his shoulders, with some struts and metal and wooden bits sticking out just bellow.

"Oh, nothing just a…uh, hang on," he struggled to find a word. That was one of the downsides of being a dragon, the language did not have words for everything humans had. Hiccup then took another wooden plank and began writing on it. He inscribed several runes, forming the word 'SADDLE'.

"You mean like that thin the farmers would use when they wanted to ride the yaks?" I asked. It didn't happen often, mostly because there wasn't much need to travel far from the village, but I did know that a saddle was just something that somehow helped a rider stay on a yak. Somehow, I felt a little disappointed on why Gobber and my brother decided to make a saddle for some secret project, but maybe I was just not seeing something.

"Yeah, except for a Night Fury."

I frowned. He wanted me to get on him yet again and there wasn't much I could do to deny him if he really wanted me to. Maybe I could humor him. "Why do you need a saddle?"

"So you can put this on," he said. My brother dragged something else into view.

I picked it up, it was another leather getup, this time more sized for me. It felt very light, definately made from a smoother, softer material than what my brother had on him. "What is it?" I asked.

"A flight…" Hiccup sighed, clearly hating the limited language of dragons. He wrote 'FLIGHT SUIT' on the same wooden plank as before.

"Why do we need a flight suit?" I questioned. "I mean, we don't need one to fly."

"So you don't fall off…" he said.

"Or decide to run away from you," I added.

"No," my brother said flatly. He then pointed at the two cords of rope by the sides of the so-called flight suit, right by where my hips would have been. "This will prevent you from falling off."

Holding the flight suit up, I wondered. Just what made this so special? I was actually expecting something more… awe inspiring from the my brother, like a translator charm or even a suit of dragonfire proof armor. This… just felt, I don't know, unimpressive, unneeded? How does not falling off from my brother really help me?

Hiccup must have noticed my frown and his face twisted to reflect mine. "You could wear it, we could go flying right now if you wanted to..."

"But we don't have to go anywhere," I said. "The books won't be done until tomorrow night or… well, tonight, I guess, if it's really that late."

"I know, we could go flying for the sake of flying…" Hiccup suggested.

"Could you fly?" I asked.

Hiccup then showed me his tail, a slight gleam on his eyes. It had fully healed, the cuts, bruises, and the missing chunks had all filled themselves in. I honestly wanted to feel a little jealous; my leg still hurt a little and will likely be that way for a few more weeks. But then again, Hiccup actually lost limbs. He was so lucky...

"In that cold?" I said flatly. "I'd rather stay inside for the whole winter… maybe hibernate."

"You're going to have to get used to it eventually," my brother warned me. "It doesn't bother you that bad once you've gotten used to it…"

I wanted to steel myself, to resist my brother just this one, but the idea of what might happen if I backed out. I imagined going back to Berk, staying in doors for all of winter for every year. I didn't think anyone would take me seriously if I couldn't stand a little cold weather every now and again, Dad might think I'm…

I blinked. Hiccup was giving me that grin he had when he knew he had me. I wanted to just squash myself. "Okay, okay," I told him. "I'll go with you, but if Dad asks if I am missing a few toes…"

"I'll tell him you were looking for treasure," Hiccup said. "He'll understand." Odd, Dragonese had a word for 'treasure', but then again, the King knew what coins were…

I tossed aside a dozen layers of animal pelts and felt a rush of cold sweep over my body. I didn't like it, but I didn't feel like my body was just about to turn into a block of ice when the snow started dropping; maybe Hiccup was right and I was slowly getting used to it… or maybe my senses were getting dull because something was very wrong with me. Either way, I put on the flight suit Hiccup prepared for me, slipping it over my wolf fur coat.

Once, I was done, Hiccup bent over and pulled me up with his jaws. A quick jolt of pain surged onto my damaged leg, but I quickly got over it. Then, I limped over to the door, my brother giving my the support I needed to keep moving forward. I might need a walking stick once I got back home, anything to stop having to rely on the overly eager Night Fury standing beside me.

I pushed over the door and a blast of snow slammed into face, almost giving me a white beard that reached down to my waist. I wiped the snow off, feeling annoyed.

Stepping outside, I could tell that winter had definitely come. The Meatheads's village was covered in a faint blanket of snow that fell gently from the dark skies above. In the distance, I could see light glimmering, the dawn fast approaching. Rooftops were covered in covered in thin mats of white, almost looking like miniaturized mountains. Walkways and roads disappeared, almost giving me the impression I was at some wild, undisturbed place. All the while, the village still was in the last grips of sleep, a few early risers milling about. It reminded me so much of my home, both of them.

"Ready, bud?"

"Ready to get myself killed? You bet," I told him, managing to have better luck at suppressing my shivers. It was easier because I strangely had a warm feeling in my chest.

I climbed onto my brother. "Now, just tie yourself to the hooks on my back."

I nodded and complied. Now that I was on him, I noticed that the cords of rope on my flight suit fit perfectly with the set of metal hooks on the front part of the saddle.

As soon as I did that, my brother lurched forward and took off into the air. Hiccup rose upward, climbing higher and higher, his wings flapping with such rapidity. I held on tightly, feeling myself nearly slide off my brother's back. I put my feet into the stirrups, to stop my fall. "What are you doing?" I shouted my question.

"Climbing higher!" Hiccup told me. "Hang on!"

I did, grabbing hold to a bar of wood placed by the base of my brother's neck. I tried not to look down, not even when I could feel my stomach being pulled so far behind me.

And then, Hiccup stopped climbing, leveling himself, going into what I used to call 'cruising', soaring just fast enough to keep flying, but not so fast enough that anyone riding would lose his grip. "Did you really have to do that?" I asked him. I caught a glimpse of where we were and I and I think I was more worried about the fall rather than freezing...

"I did," Hiccup said, a cheer in his voice. Before, I could ask why, my brother seemed to know what I was about to say and answered my question before I asked. "So I could do this!"

He lunged forward, angling his wings tightly, and went into a dive. The dive was fast, far faster than I had ever experienced before as a passenger and I could feel my heart pounding.I gripped tightly on my brother's saddle, regretting everything. "Did you at least test this?" I screamed.

"That's what we're doing!" replied my brother.

For a long, agonizing moment of fear, I thought were going to crash into the ocean, but my brother opened his wings at the last moment. We glided just above the water's edge at high speed, a light tail of sea foam bubbled just behind us.

I started breathing again, my panic over. "You scared me!" I shouted.

"So, you thought that was scary, bud?" my brother laughed.

And then, suddenly, Hiccup tilted his wings and flew on his side. I felt cold and bitter sea water splash it my face and I wiped it away from my face in frustration.

"You are a … mean overgrown lizard!" I yelled. Probably not the best series of insults I could have come up with, but that might have been the seawater talking.

"You used to be one, too, you know!" my brother replied. I could tell he was enjoying this… even though I didn't. His speed dropped gradually, the boost given by his steep dive was quickly dissipating.

"Can we please go back now?" I begged.

"Not just yet," said Hiccup. "One more thing I want to try." My brother then took us back closer to the island, but not the village. Instead, I could tell he was planning on heading into a dense forest, the tall evergreens frosted with light snow. As we closer, my brother began beating his wings harder and harder, building up speed as he went.

I felt my heart sink. He can't possibly be thinking of doing… that, that was crazy, I'd fall off. I mean, I did this trick once, but that was back when _I _was the one with wings and I didn't have someone riding on me back then!

Hiccup rushed forward, his speed reaching levels far faster than I felt safe in. I held on tightly, feeling the rush of speed on my body. We darted through trees, making narrow turns and daring evasions.

I almost wanted to unstrap myself, to get off, and…

I don't know what happened exactly. I felt scared one moment, closing my eyes and wish I had my own two feet were on the ground.

But during the the next felt odd, like I suddenly realized I something very important, something I completely forgot. I leaned my body forward, bringing myself closer to Hiccup's head, my eyes open.

Up ahead, I could see a tall pine, a luscious evergreen that my brother was practically racing forward. Hiccup turned once again, narrowing avoiding a crash, but this time, things were different. I was the one who started the turn, my brother simply followed my lead.

I was not flying my brother, nor was I controlling Hiccup; I just simply...steering him, guiding him. It was as if I knew his next movements, saw his next action, and simply confirmed it for him. We darted through more trees, each time, we pulled narrow escapes, almost as if we were making the same decisions at the same time.

We both veered upward, above the canopy. "What took you so long?" I heard my brother say. His head was turned back at me, just enough I could that faint grin of his.

"I was just… remembering something I forgot."

"Oh?" Hiccup questioned, knowingly. "What would that be?"

I grinned. I can't believe I actually forgot how enjoyable it was to just simply… fly for the sake of flying. It was more than a simple trip from going one place to the next, more than simply a tool to achieve some goal."Flying is fun," I told him simply.

I think our smiles were frozen to our faces for the rest of the morning. It didn't matter so much that I was on my older brother doing something I had technically outgrown; what mattered was that we enjoyed ourselves.

We pulled more stunts, more crazy and dangerous things in the cold wind; I think noon came before either of us realized how long we were gone.

I also learned something new, the reason my brother made his saddle and my flight suit. No matter how fast or how steep the dive, I did not fear falling.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**I just realized that I got into the habit of posting every 5 days, 4 days to write, the fifth day's afternoon is when I posted. This is a bit shorter than usual in terms of total word length, but I think it makes sense.**

**Anyways, enjoy and if you like this story, please leave a comment for me to read.**

* * *

"And then Hiccup drove of the Whispering Death off the island!" I proudly declared, much to the astonishment of those around the gathered around the dining table. None of them were seated at the table, mostly they were just gathering around just as a I recalled the past few days events. I probably wondered what they thought was more fantastic, the fact we lived in a world where Vikings can turn into dragons or that my brother could fight such a terrifying enemy and _win. _That'd show them not to underestimate us.

Father sat at the opposite end of the table, a faint smile on his face. He took a drink his mead goblet and then asked, "And then you sent the fleet home without you?" He didn't seem all too upset, most likely because the docks were likely to freeze sometime soon.

My brother nodded. Hiccup sat right next to me, well, sort of. He had his rear planted firmly on the floor since no normal chair would have been able to support all his weight. He then took a bite out of his plate of raw fish. I'll admit, it unnerved a little every time he swallowed something whole, that was going to take some time getting used to...

"We needed to stay behind for a day longer," I explained. "Besides, we could have flown home at any time."

"I can see that," my Father pointed out. Father was being literal of course. As soon as Hiccup shown me that saddle Gobber made for him, he never took the thing off. Granted, I was also dressed up in my flight suit, but that was only because we came home…around fifteen minutes ago, just in time to catch dinner.

"Yeah, and to think it took him this long to realize he wasn't wearing anything," I muttered.

Hiccup gave me a look that made me wonder if he going to do cover me in drool again just to annoy me, but instead he told me, "I don't know, I think lots of people say you're really strong and tough if you can stand the cold weather without wearing anything."

"Isn't being a dragon is cheating?" was my reply.

"That doesn't mean I'm not tough," Hiccup pointed out.

I counter, "But you're wearing something now…"

Father didn't understand a word he said, but I think he got the general idea. "Well, the Meatheads must have been really impressed with that getup; Vikings flying dragons, just as crazy as Vikings turning into dragons I say," he said, much to the agreement of a dozen other Vikings.

My brother and I had our face contort into big grins that threatened to fly off at any moment. Both of us a little proud of our flying over the Meatheads earlier today. While we were waiting for the Hairy Scary Librarian to deliver us our books, we did some 'joy riding' over the Village. We spent the whole day pulling fancy stunts or performing crazy tricks with our only stops being to eat and to rest whenever we got too exhausted. Onlookers who saw us were amazed, all of them gave us cheers and shouts as we danced around the sky. Other than working together in the forge, flying had just become our favorite 'bonding activity'.

"You can say that," I told our Father.

"Well, looks like you two did well," Father said, a grin plastered onto his face. "Not only have you accomplished your task and brought home much needed supplies back home, you have strengthened our ties with our neighboring Tribe and you have completed a your first official Quest."

"Quest?" I knew what a Quest was, but I didn't think what we just went through qualified.

Father glanced back at Bucket and Mulch. They were sitting on their own table a small distance off. The latter "Well, it was only a simple trading trip to another nearby island, but facing a deadly enemy and earning a payment for it makes it count in my book. Mogadon must have had a hard time believing you bested a dragon twice!"

"Right, deadly enemy..." I trailed off. Then, Hiccup gave me a stern expression, as if waiting for me to say something. I just stared back, not backing off this time. Brother did nothing. This was not be the right place to discuss… Donnar. I'm a little biased when the matter involves Whispering my little spiel about my brother defeating him, I delibrately left out a few parts, like the fact that he was someone who was from Berk or he had turned human. The truth was something for either Bucket or my brother to discuss and I don't think I'm the only one who thought that. "Well, if you want to I'm sure Hiccup or Bucket will let you know any of the important to know details."

Father nodded. Whether or not he already knew the truth, I couldn't tell. He gave a short sigh of relief. Then he stood up turning his attention the whole audience, his mug held up high. "And speaking about dragons, we've made it to the Winter season without dragons ransacking the village in months! We can celebrate Snoggletog in peace!"

The assembled crowd roared with excitement, obviously glad that they wouldn't have to worry as much about dragons destroying their homes. During this time of the year, the King let his servants have their leave. Even the Knights had their duties significantly diminished and often returned to their home fiefdoms. This wasn't to say dragon attacks did not happen, sometimes Knights gathered some commoners on their own little hunting parties. The raids merely happened much less often and they were often much smaller than at any other time of the year. Though, for the life of me, I couldn't exactly remember what made this season so important.

"What's Snoggletog?" I whispered to Hiccup. The adults were still talking, their voices raised in cheer. They ignored us almost completely whilst discussing things like decoration and sacrificial offerings.

"Just a festival we celebrate during the Winter. You'll like it!" he said.

"And why does it have…"

Hiccup cut me off, apparently knowing exactly what I was going ask. "I know it's a dumb name," said my brother. "No one knows why we call it that, but that's just what we call it... "

I don't get Viking names sometimes. Most a fine, but then others just make nose But 'Snoggletog'? Really?I glowered at him, but I didn't press him about that; I knew that would just lead to nowhere. "So… what's it about?"

"It's a festival," Hiccup said. "There's going to be lot of eating and drinking, bud. You'll love it." I was looking forward to sampling the food off of tables and I imagined what kinds of nice dishes I could find. Maybe there'll be some fried oysters or deep fried yak. Drinking, I didn't fancy as much, but still, maybe I could find a nice goblet of milk to wash everything else down. Already, I could feel my mouth water.

"So, it's just a celebration, then?" Dragons had festivals, often to mark special occasions or notable individuals and I think Berk hosted their for the same reason. I think there was a winter one coming up, but I forgot what it was about. Maybe it had something to do with the King releasing the majority of his servants from service.

"Yes," Hiccup confirmed. "But during the celebration, it's customary to exchange gifts with others…"

I frowned. If it's customary to exchange gifts with others, I wanted to know just what that meant… and if possible figure out what I would exchange. "With who?"

Hiccup's shoulders bulged forward in a shrug. "Whoever you want," my brother told me, "family, close friends…"

"…Astrid?" I guessed.

Hiccup backed away, almost ashamed, but he confirmed my guess. "Astrid."

I might as well press on and ask for help."So, what did you get her?"

"I gave her axe polish last year," he told me in as cold and low of a voice he could manage. I knew why he seemed so depressed, Astrid lost her prized axe a few months ago. Now it was unusable, enshrined in the Hofferson clan house.

"So, what are going to do?" I asked.

"Just something for you and Dad," he said. I nodded. Whatever that meant, I hoped he knew what he was doing.

I finally decided I had enough being trapped under a mountain of Viking men and suggested for my brother and I to leave the table. Dad was clearly wrapped up talking to the villagers, planning for the upcoming holiday. Hiccup easily cleared the way for us to leave. One the advantages of having a large scaly reptile for a brother, people tended to pay attention to that.

Still, I wondered just who would I be giving things to this year? And what? I mean, I know I'm my Father's son and all, but I didn't exactly have much money all of my own. I could probably make a few axes or spears and gift those, but I don't think Berk needed that many more weapons.

And then, there was the possibility I had to give Hiccup something. That terrified me to no end. When I learned that I had him for an older sibling, a part of me sighed in relief while the rest of me frantically denied it. Before, I was worried of being in so much debt to Hiccup that I could never repay him for his kindness. Once it was revealed we were siblings, that debt practically went away. His old clothes became my new hand-me-downs, the lessons he gave me became things expected of him. Now, I shuddered to think what I could possibly give the brother who gave me my...everything.

Thinking on more possible matters, I realized that I could easily get things for my human friends. My older cousin Snotlout would obviously get a flail or maul, his choice. Fishlegs would want books and/or dragon related things, so maybe I could get a book from somewhere. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, wouldn't mind receiving their own cruel weapons. I could probably make an axe for Astrid… Maybe something else for Thuggory, something to at least trust me a little more.

But then I realized, there were others I needed to think about. It owed it to my former peers, since I more or less dragged them into the mess I was stuck in. I had very little idea of what I could get them. I could probably get matching helmets to go along with the twins. Meatlug would be difficult, but maybe I can ask for Fishlegs's advice since she seemed to always be near the guy. Hookfang stumped me though. I grew up having him near me all the time, but that was just because he was my teacher's grandson; I didn't really talk to him all that much.

As for the Nadder, Stormfly? Forget her. I don't think I would have given her anything, even if I had the foggiest of ideas. Back when we were in Squire training, she was one of the ones who teased me the most, often telling me that I didn't earn my place in the Knighthood. These days, I think she might have had a point, but I'm not going to admit that in front of her.

Before I knew it, I found myself gravitating towards the table where my former peers were gathered. All them save the Zippleback were in human form and talking amongst themselves.

"So, should we stay?"

"Or should we go?" asked both heads of the Zippleback. I still had a little trouble telling which head was which.

"Well, it is that time of year…" suggested Meatlug while absentmindedly flipping through the pages of a book. "But I wouldn't mind staying."

"We do have to stay around, for our Hosts. My liege needs me after all, especially after… yesterday. We have many responsibilities here to the Chief," said the tall dark haired boy. Hookfang was always big for his age and that still showed even in human form.

"We do have to consider informing our other Kin, tour relatives. With the upcoming festival, this might be our only chance to meet up with them, without drawing the direct attention of the other Flight Commanders; I do not wish to see them until our teacher is avenged..." said what I assumed to be a certain Nadder.

"So does that mean," started who I assumed to be Barf.

Belch completed. "We stay for Snoggletog?"

"I don't know. What is Snoggletog anyways? And does it really have to have such a strange name?" asked Stormfly.

My former peers were clearly talking about leaving somewhere for the Winter, but were kept from going due to their duties on Berk. It must have had to do something with the Winter festival again. I decided it would be a good idea to move past them before they had the chance to realize I was there.

But instead of letting me go forward, Hiccup patted me on the back with his tail and gave me a look. "Ask them to stay."

"Why me?" I said. "You do remember they can understand you, you know."

"I remember," he said."But they're your friends."

I sighed. I didn't want to force them to stay if they didn't want to; it was because of me they were here in the first place, I shouldn't be the one to force them stay if they didn't want to go. On the other hand, I wouldn't object if they stuck around… Besides, I was kind of depending on my brother to help me walk. I really need to get a staff or walking stick, anything to stop him from having so much leverage over me.

"It's a sort of gift giving celebration," I told my former peers. As we approached, they all turned and looked at me. "At least, that's what my brother says."

"Gift exchange?" mused Meatlug.

"You mean like..." start Barf.

Both of the Zippleback heads then started looking around, as if to check if there was anyone else who could overhearing, despite the fact the only other people who could have understood them were a trio of horribly singing Nadders. "Like our King does?"

I shook my head. "No, not those kind of gifts," I said. The King had the power to bestow strange and marvelous powers to his favored servants. My old teacher One Eye for instance could see as good, perhaps than any normal dragon who had both working eyes. Though, what I would give to have access to one of the most commonly received gifts, the power of healing.

"Then, what are we receiving?" asked Hookfang.

"Items, possessions," I supplied.

"Clothing?" mused Stormfly.

"Yeah, like that." I said. Well, actually I didn't know if clothes were a smart idea, but I don't think I would have minded having more things to wear. Was that what she wanted?

Then, Stormfly's deep blue eyes focused on me, like a hawk, and I suddenly felt cold, like I was going to start shivering at any moment. I feared she might go make a comment about how weak I was since I needed my brother to help me walk without straining my injured leg. "Did you really face a Whispering Death and shoot out its eye?"

"Um… yeah," I said. I didn't know what else to say, only to confirm what I had done. For a moment, I feared like I might have put myself into the firing line.

"And you were injured for it?"

Before I could have done the smart thing and shut up about it, my mouth moved on its own, "One of my legs got was crippled." I wanted to just run away now, I practically gave her permission. Hastily, I added, "Temporarily."

She seemed to consider my for a moment, most likely to figure out the best way to mock me. Then said with a grin that almost scared me more than the Whispering Death. "Then I think you had the better aim. Good job."

It took me a second for me to process that. Did she really just… compliment me? For a moment, I wondered she might have been catching me off guard, just to make my whole situation worse. But, she didn't look like she normally did. She wasn't dressed any different; she had the same tunic and silk scarf like always, but she just didn't seem to have the same air about her.

"Why are you giving me that look?" She said.

"Uh, it's just nothing!"

Stormfly gave a growl. It actually sounded, I don't know...cute, like listening to a puppy try to growl. Still, it did sound threatening. "Well, then you better recover. Though, I don't think it'd make much

"Uh, thanks…" I replied. Maybe I was just imagining things. She was still the same old Stormfly I had always known. Before I could walk away, Hiccup's tail slapped my back, reminding me why I got involved in the first place. "So are you going to be staying or not?"

Stormfly and the others turned and looked at each other, as if that was enough to have a quick discussion. "It is decided then, we will attend this 'Snoggletog' of yours." said Stormfly. "I suppose I can wait another year before attending my first mating festival…"

And with that, I suddenly remembered what made the Winter so important, mating season was coming soon…

I really hope Mother does not stop by for a visit with her free time…

* * *

Ever since I've been stuck in this body, I've gotten used to having eyes that could see so clearly in the dark. It was really handy, really, probably the one natural ability I had that I've used more than any other. I never had to worry about being near blind or fear that I might step in something I just because I couldn't see it. It's no wonder Mom or Toothless could easily pinpoint and destroy catapult towers even in the darkest night; Night Furies only needed the faintest of lights.

And I was using this incredible power to read. Without a candle. Yes, Hiccup, you're a genius, use one of the most incredible and amazing parts of being a dragon for the most mundane things. Well, I guess it offsets the fact I had no hands. My paws were simply put too big to even manage turning a page without flipping over a dozen parts all at once. It was possible, but really difficult. If I tried flipping pages while I had a candle? I would be surprised if I _didn't _destroy a neighborhood blocks; I've done that before.

Maybe if I had been a little more patient, I could have waited until morning and had Toothless or Dad to come and help me read. But tonight, it seemed like I was out of patience. I have been waiting for a breakthrough for a months now and I have used the last of my ability to wait longer just to keep me until I had returned home. How could I not want to learn the information that could fix everything?

I was by the house's hearth Now that it was Winter, it would pretty much be going nonstop. I took advantage of it, using it as my light source, despite the fact I was maybe a dozen feet away. Toothless and Dad were sleeping in their respective beds, leaving me alone with a book. Other than turning a page, I had very few problems reading the book on Rune based magic the Hairy Scary Librarian wrote.

According to the book, Rune magic is simple and can be summed up with the phrase 'Words have power'. It's about putting words on objects and using them to store and control the power imbued into the item. Unfortunately, that's where the simplicity ends.

First off, the Runes involved are not the same kind used in everyday life. They're still Norse Runes, but I think they're the special kind, like the ones used by priests to dedicate temples and label tombs. This part, I didn't think I had a full understanding of, but I think Fishlegs would be a big help.

Second, the Runes written on an item had to specify exactly what the intended effect was, otherwise, things would be random. There's a very detailed example of how simply writing 'Fire' on a sword was not enough to make a flaming sword. Such a blade had a good chance of setting its _wielder _and anyone in a twenty yard radius a blaze. Writing 'Fire', 'On' and 'Sword' in that order was better, but even then, there was a good chance the sword would constantly be melting itself without more words to protect it. With my luck, I might suddenly turn someone into a dragon because I misspell something.

Third, the more complex the enchantment was going to be, the more power it would need backing it up. Using the flaming sword example, making a sword that was on fire was one thing, making a sword that could melt through stone was another matter entirely; the amount of skill and power needed was just way different. This part is what the Hairy Scary Librarian was talking about when he said that it was odd my brother and I could use runes despite lacking formal training. The whole point of the training was to give an initiate enough skill and practice to develop a reserve of energy and channel it into an enchantment. Whatever it was, the book didn't know, yet somehow, my brother and I had this part covered.

There were also a dozen other nuances like how certain materials did better at focusing certain enchantments, how making enchantments at certain times of day or during special occasions of a year could affect the process, and how people's names fit in, but I didn't think I needed to know all that stuff just yet. I needed to know the basics before I worried about the complicated stuff. Maybe tomorrow, I could read about what are the actual steps in the imbuing process.

Before I could go any further, I heard someone knocking on the door. Which was odd, considering what hour it is. Putting my book away, I went over to the door. "Who is it?" I barked. Hopefully, whoever it was could understand it... and not think I was threatening him.

"It's me!" said a muffled, but familiar voice.

"Astrid?" I called out.

"Yeah!"

With some difficulty, I twisted the door knob with my tongue, revealing a very familiar blonde girl standing just outside the threshold. Well, mostly blonde girl. Astrid had changed in the few days I had been away. She was barefoot, her feet having grown large and morphed into a shape vaguely reminiscent of a bird's. Her eyes has both turned golden yellow, showing a dim glow. I could only stare at the girl, my mouth agape.

"Careful, your mouth might freeze open," Astrid told me.

I still stared for a while longer. "Astrid, what happened?"

"Stormfly is a better fighter than Toothless," she declared while flashing me a big satisfied grin. Even her smile had changed, becoming… sharper. And yet, I still found it so endearing.

"Uh, come in!" I told her once I snapped out of my trance.

She stepped in and immediately regretted it once her hand touched the doorknob to close it. "Ew, gross!"

"Sorry!" I cried. "Only had the tongue!" Note to self, ask Gobber to make a door able to be opened by a dragon, just so I don't embarrass myself in front of her any more than I had to. I didn't need to think twice before I decided to change the topic. "Uh… why are you here?"

"So I can't come visit a friend?" she questioned, making me feel a little guilty. Right, I forgot Astrid was a friend now, not some girl who I just knew and stayed away from me.

"Uh, I didn't find you at the Great Hall," I said. I actually said 'Great Den', but she knew what I meant.

"Dad grounded me for a week," she said with a not-so-wistful smile.

"And you snuck out?" I think I had a hard time trying to understand that. Astrid, the girl who pretty much was obedient and straightforward, sneaking out seemed stranger than her physical transformation. Why… that's almost like something Camicazi would do.

Astrid merely shrugged. "Dad kinda went nuts once I started having a taste for raw fish…"

"Well, I don't blame you…" I said, mostly buy more time just to try to understand what I was seeing. "It's oddly satisfying…"

The partially-dragon girl took a seat by the hearth and began warming herself. I took a seat right next to her, after flicking the Rune writing guide away with my tail. "You know, I missed having you around."

"You did?" That surprised me. Astrid broke out of her own home just to see me, that's a first and I'm actually surprised I didn't have to do that first.

"Uhuh, it would have been nice to have someone tell me what I should expecting… someone that wasn't Snotlout."

Oh, right. No need to panic Hiccup, it's nothing major. She came to see you, not that she came to see you. Honestly, you've been trying to get her attention for the longest time and now you're so scared of that. "Snotlout isn't that bad…" Which is why you're trying to get her to talk about Snotlout. Perfect.

Astrid snorted. "Have you seen him lately?"

"Uh, no?" I sputtered.

She shook her head. "Just, never mind. Look, you'll know what happened when you see him..."

Okay, now I really wonder what's happened to my cousin in the past few days. Back in the Great Hall, I overheard Hookfang talk about something happening to Snotlout, something yesterday. Just how bad was it? I mean, I got that he was probably tougher and stronger than I was, but still, he wasn't immortal. One arrow to the heart and I was sure he'd still die. Now that this topic turned a little dark all I could really say was, "Okay…" in an awkward tone.

The conversation died then and there for a few minutes. Astrid kept warming herself by the fire, she was still mostly human. I had finally managed to understand what was going to happen to her.

Maybe it was wishful and selfish thinking, but I actually wished she was going to turn into a Night Fury. It would have been nice having another one around, someone who could have been my equal. That and I would have finally had a chance. Who was I kidding? I never had a chance, not unless I was the last guy on Midgard she could have dated. I managed to finally say. "You're turning into a Nadder…"

Astrid nodded. "Stormfly says it fits me," she said. "Can't say I really understand why. I'm not really all that obsessive about my appearance, not like she is."

"But you do…" As soon as I said it, I started to believe it. Ever since her uncle, Fearless Finn, died, Astrid always played up the image, the ideal, that she was going to be Berk's toughest warrior one day. She kept training whenever she had the spare time and thrown punches and jabs to both her enemies _and friends._ "Just not in the typical Nadder way. You tend to be more… aggressive."

"Oh, you mean like this?" she said, before landing a elbowing me in the chest.

I recoiled away, maybe a little stunned that Astrid could still manage to break a rib. "Ow!"

She gave herself a smirk. "I missed having my favorite punching bag around."

I returned a sheepish smile. A month ago, I probably have been scared of receiving a hit like that, I would have lost whatever remained of my then slowly ebbing humanity. Now, I just simply lacked anything left to lose. "Well…. thanks." Still, I guess if anything, Astrid considered me a I can settle for that if not...

"Why are you giving me that look?" she said.

Embarrassed about what I was thinking about, I felt my cheeks flush. I really hope myself were black enough to cover that. "Uh… nothing." Great, now she thinks I am more weird than I normally am.

Astrid just shook her head as if to break a thought off her mind. "So, Stormfly's staying with us for…" her face contorted a little bit, trying to use a word that she could no longer use.

"I know, I was there Toothless convinced her." I said. I'm actually not all that surprised Snoggletog did not have a comparable word in Dragonese. I was an odd name, even by Berk or even normal Viking standards.

Astrid nodded before leaning a little bit closer to the fire. "Well, anyways, did you know that Winter signals the start of mating season?" She must have notice my face turn into an inquisitive look. "Yeah, apparently, they," she means dragons, "form couples in the Winter and have a whole festival about when their kids hatch all at the same time."

I wonder if Fishlegs was pestering Meatlug about that…or if Meatlug had other ideas in mind. As far as I knew, Spring was when other creatures than humans found their mates, just at the start of the relatively warmer part of the year to allow their young to have an easy time growing up. But then again, dragons never had to worry about frostbite or having their insides freeze up, with the ability to create fire anywhere and all.

I also frowned. Suddenly, I realized why I was suddenly so… focused on Astrid. With a painful realization, I knew I needed to do something about that before things just ended up worse. Part of me accepting that I might live the rest of my life as a dragon meant that I had to accept that I couldn't… No, I couldn't dwell on that too much. I had no chance anyways.

"Is something wrong?" She must

I shook my head. "Uh, no, nothing," I lied. She didn't need to know or at least I didn't need to say anything. At the same time, I also realized something else. "So, do you think that why our Kin," I said in place of the word 'dragon', since I finally got tired of skirting around using it, "don't attack us much during the Winter? They have to raise their young?"

Astrid nodded. "Yeah, apparently, the Flights are temporarily disbanded while this happens. All of them suddenly have the free time to do whatever they wanted."

I felt my heart freeze over, as if I was suddenly a normal average boy who didn't have insides that burned so hot. "All of them?" I repeated, a crazy and insane idea forming in my head.

"Yeah, according to Stormfly, all of them, even the Flight Commanders go off and pursue whatever they want," Astrid confirmed. She then frowned for a very obvious reason. "Hiccup, you have that look on your face whenever you have an idea…"

I nodded. "It's definitely crazy.

Astrid gave a sigh, as if accepting she had no chance of stopping me. Which was fair, she didn't. "So, what is it this time?"

I told her. "I want Mom to come visit for the Winter."

* * *

**I've been wanting to do this arc for a while.**

**I think you all know what's coming next.**

**Also, lots of implied shipping, even though I don't normally do this. I figure, of all times, the Mating Season would be the time to do it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**Well, I was preparing to being unable to write for a few days. As it turns out, I'm still able to continue my average 5 day posting sessions. Anyways, I do hope you guys enjoy this story arc, I've been planning for this since chapter five of the last story.**

**Also, I'm impressed by how the last chapter's reveiw counts turn out. I hope that you guys keep telling me your thoughts.**

* * *

"Milady, are you sure about this?" the Gronckle dared to ask. He backed away from me, knowing full well that even his armored hide could only protect him so much.

"Yes, I am sure," I growled. I ought to rip his head off, this matter was important… but I shouldn't. No, that would be an even bigger waste of my time. That was clear to me when I found my glare alone was enough to send him cowering to the corner. "Just go tell Flailing Tail to resume his normal patrols."

"Thank you, Flight Commander Deadwings, thank you!" He said as he approached, obviously thinking to lick my feet.

I scowled at him. "Leave!" I shouted, sending the Gronckle flying away in a panic.

I sighed, this happens every Winter. The whole Nest gets so careless, so confounded and addle minded they can't even focus the most simple of were only two weeks into Winter and everything had already fallen apart. My Knights had practically abandoned me and went chasing after mates like a certain brother in law of mine once did.

With the Gronckle gone, I sighed and turned my attention skyward up at the stars. Atop this scattered cliffside, there were no distractions to interrupt me, no trees in my way… and nobody beside me. I was alone, that I finally understood.

My sons had no love for me, for I have done them great wrongs, both my eldest and youngest. My former mate would have nothing to do with me, especially once he found out that I nearly slain him once or twice. And the only Kindred who I knew could have consoled me had perished when his connection to our Lord had been severed.

It should be a sign of weakness to desire companionship. Such things, I should be above.

And yet, here I am, longing for the days when my youngest would be cheerily looking up at the heavens, telling me the hour and naming stars for the heroes he wanted to become.

I seek to know what has happened to my eldest since I had last seen him. How has he taken to inheriting what was his? Does he still hate me for it? Did I make the right choice?

Even more… I remember _his _warm embrace.

I snorted; it was only the Winter season getting me, pulling at my heartstrings like only so much sinew. These past few was the time when my Kin did their mating dances and their ceremonies. In the next month, the birthing and child rearing rites would begin. It was only natural, that even I could feel these urgings… no matter, I have suppressed them for nearly fourteen years, I could do fifteen more.

Moreover, I had to stand vigilant, even when the common folk, the peasantry, would be abandoning their posts. These were dangerous times, especially with the Usurper out there. A entire Flight was lost to his machinations, One Eye, perhaps the greatest and the purest of us, had fallen, his Knights defeated… And yet, my Lord does not command the commoners to simply lay their eggs within the sanctity of his Domain. Yes, he warned them, yet he also _encouraged _them to not let their actions be dictated by fear. Now, within the next three days, four-fifths of all of my Kin would be leaving to visit their traditional spawning grounds!

I sighed. Sometimes, I wonder what must go on through my King's head. He was innumerable old and powerful, yet he was trapped here, bound to the island. He was powerful and wise, yet I can't help but feel his decisions make no sense. Attack this fort at this specific time and this specific date, defend for this long, but then send the majority of the populace else where. It is no wonder One Eye spent so much of his time trying to make sense of our Lord's commandments.

**"That is because I you have so much more to learn," **I heard a voice say.

I curly took a bow right from where I stood. "My Lord," I said to the wind. He was not physically here in front of me, no he was still trapped in the mountain behind me; yet I could his presence was upon me. We, Flight Commanders, were entrusted a small portion of our King's power, and with it, a portion his Will always followed us. The Pact that we partook gave us many benefits, among them was the ability to directly communicate with our King as long as we were within his Domain, his Nest. He did not always use this power, but when he did, we felt it. Additionally, it also allowed him to peer into our thoughts, including my discontent with his rule just a minute ago. "I did not mean to…"

**"Do not worry, my champion, your concerns are not unfounded,"** I felt him speak. It is a strange feeling, to have someone else speak to you, yet not speak to you. It is not hearing, yet it was _listening_. Over the years, I have gotten used to my Lord speaking to me in the most unusual of times and circumstances, but I could never fully accept it. **"Suffice it to say, I have a reason for all my decisions, all of them have a particular goal in mind."**

"Then, what is it you desire, my King?" I asked.

I could almost imagine my Lord's grin, his many rows of teeth gleaming in the darkest resseses of his mind. **"It is not what I desire, but rather what _you _desire?"**

His statement only perplexed me. "What do you mean my Lord?"

**"Look at them," **I felt. As if without my own inclination, I felt my neck twisted downward, looking at the small throngs of my Kin below.

The males would try to attract the females in displays of strength or cunning and the females would judge the ones they would follow. Then began a dance and then a chase where the male would try to flirt with his new female. If all went well, a clutch of eggs would be given to them within the week. And yet, I still did not see how this was at all relevant. All I saw was what happened year after year, males chasing after females and sometimes succeeding. "What is it you wish for me to see, my King?"

**"Tell me my Knight, why did you join in my service?" **

I still didn't see what he was getting at, but I felt a creeping cold slithering up my tail, the kind that even weather resistant scales can't seem to keep out. For a moment, I struggled to find the right words as if saying them was the most difficult thing in the world. Finally, I managed to find and speak them, "...To support my child." A child that ultimately broke his own spell without my help.

**"And to one day return to the one you call your _mate_." **Within my King's… words, I had the distinct impression there was something about my former husband he didn't like. I suppose it was fair, he was a Viking Chief, after all. They would naturally be enemies.

Still, I found myself shaking my head at someone who was not there, yet was. "We both know that the curse upon me is not so easily dispelled."

**"Not by my Will, no. The Corrupt One's curse is not within my power to challenge," **said my Lord. **"But know that I will still fulfill your request."**

I was stunned. After all these years and all my sacrifices, my Lord was now reminding me of the bargain we had struck so many years ago. Was it because my youngest had left me? Or was it that he finally had the means to fulfill his end of the bargain? A part of me had almost forgotten the terms of our agreement or even that there was one at all. Now, I wasn't sure what to think. "What is do you mean, my Lord?" I asked.

**"I promise to fulfill my promise, for it is the sign of a wise ruler to always pay debts. I assure you, before the Winter Solstice, you shall see your mate and offspring once more," **I heard my King swear.

I gulped. I really hoped my King would not let Stoick see me as I am now. If he saw me as I was, I just knew what he would do to me. I had abandoned him for fourteen winters, made him raise our eldest alone, and joined up with the enemies of our tribe, nothing I could say could excuse any of that. I did all this and more, just because I… I shook my head. Still, the chance to finally set things right, to finally have things the way they _should_ have been appealed to me more than all of the gold that led me down this cursed road. "But so soon, my King? The Usurper is just outside our borders! We need to be ready." I needed to stall, bring more pressing matters to attention.

**"He will not be a problem,"** my Lord assured me. **"Come now, even you can see how _feeble _you appear to allow one such as him to dictate your actions despite the fact he is not present."**

"I could say very much the same about you, my King," I said to the wind.

My Lord seemed to take my jest well, his massive teeth formed a toothy grin in the back of my mind, despite not being here at all. **"But tell me, if the Usurper was not a concern, would you still be so hesitant? Would you not want to go where your heart calls to you?"**

My heart right now felt like it wanted to crawl into a hole and plug it up. At the same time, the thought of...finally going home filled my thoughts. Images flashed before my eyes, memories of the life I once had, the day I had met the first love of my life, the day I met my husband to be, the birth of my eldest son, Hiccup. All the while, they were joined by new thoughts, new images of what could and will happen; I saw my eldest dawning on a crown like some great and fabled monarch, I saw my youngest becoming a great warrior in his own right no matter what he choose to be...and lastly I saw my husband, just him, standing before me.

I shook my head, dispelling my Lord's illusions. "My Lord, is this wise? Were I to go, Ruseclaw and his Flight would be the only ones left to defend you." Not that I believed the Terror was much of a combatant anyways. He prefered more subtle action and covertness to the use of force. Were the enemy advancing us in numbers, there was little he could really do.

**"Ruseclaw has other matters to attend to," **said my Lord. **"He and those of his Flight that remind behind have already left."**

"Then who will defend you, my King!?" Maybe a few of my flirting Kin might have turned up to look at me, wondering why I was shouting at the air.

**"You will," **he said, as if that statement should have been obvious in of itself.

All it did was perplex me even more. I know my old home was not all that far away from my King's nest, but still, I didn't see how I was going to defend my Lord's Domain while… attending Snoggletog festivities. Oh, has it really been so long since I had ever thought about attending that oddly named holiday?

My Lord, either through his connection with me or because I was simply that easy to understand, seemed to have noticed my confusion. **"Until such a time as I can fulfill part of my bargain, you and what few warriors remain will stay here as my Honor Guard," **said my King. **"By then, Ruseclaw will have finished his assignment, allowing you to spend the rest of the Winter**… **recuperating."** That at least made sense, I would not be defending my Lord for the whole of the Winter.

I bowed down, at least, now that I knew my Lord's plans for me. I suppose that was it then. My Lord desired to fulfill the pact we had made, then there was little I could do to stop him. At the same time, would I want to challenge what might be the only chance I had to make things right. "Thank you, my King," I spoke.

Then I felt my connection to my Lord waver and unravel as his presence left me. Soon, I was alone once more, but I knew that was only going to be temporary state of affairs.

For a moment, I wondered, just how was my Lord going complete our pact? His power was enough to bestow boons and blessings upon my Kin, but in the time that I knew him, I had never known him capable of undoing curses or to transform another. Ruseclaw had the power to masquerade as human so long as he wore his enchanted jewelry, but he could never undo my curse. Was there some sort of Rites I had not been informed about? Or was I not noticing something?

For that matter, why would my Lord fulfill his debt to me at a time like this? The Usurper was still a threat, yet my Lord insists on continuing like he was not even there. Why fulfill my debt to me when there could have been other times? Was timing so important? Was he required to fulfill his obligation by a specific point or was he only able to complete it during the Winter?

I ducked my head down and bowed once more, incase my King was listening to my thoughts and would interrupt me. He didn't. I could not hear his not speaking.

Instead, I heard something else, a chaotic gaggle full of shrill and dissonant cries approached me. Raising my head up to see the noise, I found a flock of playing yearlings, yesteryear's babes scurrying through the snow. It always amazed me how normal hatchlings can grow in a year; each was already the size of a skinny human teenager and would only grow from here.

The younger Kin were caught in a foot race, all of them gave shouts of bubbling laughter and dizzying cheers, the same way children always did, regardless of what they were. They were carefree and full of energy with promise behind every step. They listened to no one, followed their own little rules, yet were so a way, they reminded me of how my youngest was… before he met someone who was now dead to me.

And just as abruptly as the noise came, it stopped. The children stopped moving, their shouts dying within seconds. One of the children, a young Zippleback skidded to a halt just in front of me, both sets of eyes were transfixed on mine.

Looking around, I saw all of the youngsters holding on to their breath, fearing what I was going to do. I suppose, if there was one thing they had to learn for, they learned about me. I suppose, it is fair, I earned that reputation every time defended my son. Once or twice, I had forced away what I perceived as threats to his safety, no matter what they were.

And yet, what could I really do now? I could maim the two headed Kin in front of me, allow to fully realize that there were dangers in the world that had to be avoided. But at the same time, I was unnerved, afraid of these children's fear. And they were afraid of me.

There was only one thing I knew was to do.

I approached the young, frightened Zippleback, both heads shivering with silent fear. Their eyes drawn closed as I drew closer. And then, I opened my mouth, just as the younger Kindred prepared for the worst. "Tag, you're it." I told one head as I tapped it on the nose with my own. The other head blinked in astonishment and I tapped it as well. "And you're it."

Backing away, I saw that the rest of the assorted crowd give me looks of shock, as if I had ripped apart the young Zippleback one piece at a time. I bet none of them were expecting that, especially not from the scary Flight Commander known for demolishing the King's enemies.

The two heads of the Zippleback were the first to recover from their shock, both obviously considered asking me a question, wondering what they should do. I answered it before they could say a word. "What are you waiting for? You're both 'it'? Understand?"

And then, as if that was all I needed to say, the frantic and disorganized play resumed as if it never stopped. The only change now was that the little Kin were all doing their best to stay as far away as possible from a Zippleback.

As they left. I felt a… warmth overtake me, a kind that I had never felt in so long, not since my youngest was still growing up. It felt… nice to be a mother, once again. Maybe I should be a little more carefree.

I suppose if my Lord wills for me to return home, I might as well be ready for it. When that day comes, I should appear as Valhallarama, Valka for short, not as Dead Wings.

* * *

I am changing, there is no more denying that. Just over a month ago, when the other members of my Tribe all rapidly descended into dragonhood, I alone was spared with my only burden were a few streaks of reddish scale where tendrils of flame burned into my flesh. I thought that the gods took pity on me, gave me a boon to stand up and fight, or that maybe I was stronger than any foul magic my old friend could bring against me.

I was wrong. Now, I was finally succumbing. The patchwork of scales on my chest were slowly growing, my nails were becoming sharper, more elongated. And I'm pretty sure my eyes were supposed to be a little less yellow. For each day that passes, a little more of me changes. I had no idea what I was going to turn into yet, but pretty soon, maybe before Spring comes...

At least I am not my nephew, things didn't exactly turn out as well for him.

But still, looking at me now, I could perfectly see what I had to lose. Could I even still be Chief once I can't speak Norse? Mildew might use that as an opportunity to have me dethroned if I wasn't too careful. My reputation had taken a small step down once the villagers who had been transformed started hearing strange sounds at the new moon as well as unusual urges to fly off somewhere once winter started.

"Relax, Stoick, you're going to be fine," I heard Gobber say. Then, my best friend then came into view and made me put down the small hand mirror I held onto. "You really should stop looking at your own reflection sometime, it's starting to get creepy."

I slumped my back down on a nearby chair, like the sack of meat like I was. "I'm just worried about making it through Snoggletog without suddenly growing wings and flying off."

"Well, it's not like Gothi predicted you'll die," said Gobber.

I glared at him, but my oldest friend could stand up to them without breaking a sweat. "It might as well be," I said bitterly. Ever since my son went missing, before all this nonsense about Viking turning into dragons started, I've made it a habit of regularly asking for an augury from village elder and I usually heeded her counsel. While I do not know the full extent of the Gothi's capabilities and knowledge, I know for a fact she was good at soothsaying. When, she told me to save Hiccup from Alvin, I did so, even when my enemy was ready to execute him if I dared try. When I had asked if there was a solution to this madness, she pointed in the direction of my sons. Now, this last prophecy, she gave me troubled me to no end.

"So your house will burn down, big deal," assured the blacksmith. "That happens to everyone sooner or later. I'm sure no one even comes close to beating your fourteen year winning streak!"

I really wish I could believe it was just my house burning down, Gothi's ill omen was more complicated. "'A cursed deal struck, a bloody decision made; In the end, a tragedy befalls the Haddock household that day,'" I repeated as clearly as if I was the original source. I wish I could just forget those words, but the thought that I could lose either of my sons was more frightening than any curse and more terrible than any weapon. "'One man, two choices, both led to suffering either way.'" Just how was I supposed to understand something like that, let alone deal with it.

"I'm still pretty sure she means you'll just need to hire a some carpenters," said Gobber. "Besides, I'm you've got other things to worry about.

I nodded my head; Gobber was right, I already had so much to deal with already. I could worry about some prophesy later, it could come true tomorrow or ten years for all I knew. I had to focus on something more immediate. "How are the boys?"

My best friend's grin threatened to fall off his face. "Pretty good," he said as gestured to the main workshop a block away. Even from here, I could see my sons manning the forges like they were prepared to do a dozen swords. Toothless did all of the hammering, while Hiccup kept the furnace burning. "The lads have been tinkering ever since books they've gotten from the Meatheads.

I nodded. I may have given my sons the permission to study magic, but I still wanted someone I could trust to oversee them when I was not around. Additionally, I still needed a safe place for them to work, somewhere where they could do the least amount of damage while still being productive. Gobber and his forge were fit the bill.. "Are they giving you any trouble?"

The blacksmith simply shrugged. "An explosion here, a weapons rack falling down there..." He said, as if he was noting the kind an unusual, but unimportant event happening while he was doing the laundry.

A saner father might have gotten worried, even afraid for his boys, hearing the kinds of accident that happened around my sons. Me? I have feel more annoyed than anything. "So, the usual?"

"They haven't done that much different from ordinary blacksmithing to be honest," Gobber replied.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. I thought weaving a spell was as simple as waving a stick around and wanting something to happen..

"Yeah, mostly, they still just beat metal with the good ol' hammer and anvil," my best friend mused. "Really, aside from carving some runes, there doesn't seem all that much special about what they're doign

I didn't feel all that convinced. "That doesn't sound all that much different," I agree. I mean, if sorcery was that easy, why _weren't _there more people practicing it? I mean, sure people didn't exactly trust most people using that sort of thing, but at some point fear would just get overridden by the desire for power.

My best friend shrugged. "And yet, Hiccup has Toothless inscribing words on a oversized metal plate so people might understand him better."

That really got my attention. I had never really understood Hiccup, not even when he was just an ordinary boy. As a dragon, the problem had only gotten worse because if he wanted to tell me anything, he either needed Toothless or spent so much time just writing out something. "You mean, he'll be able to speak Norse again?" That would be a godsend, like the first real good news I would have in a long time.

"Well, that's what Toothless says it's going to do eventually," muttered Gobber. "Right now, if Hiccup wears that oversized collar he made, all I hear from him is the sound of a rooster crowing and _no one _understands that."

I smirked, remembering a funny little chat my sons had over breakfast at one. I didn't understand it all, but I knew what having a brother was like enough to see playful teasing when I see , there was a score of twenty-seven to twenty-three. Toothless used to pretend he was a rooster, Val must have had a good laugh. Oh,Val, where have you been? What happened to you?

Gobber continued, freeing me a sea of thought before I fell right in, "And they've made some work on trying to change everyone back!"

Now that was good news. Maybe if my son was successful, he wouldn't need to make some sort of way to let him speak Norse as a dragon. He could be my boy again, maybe even eat properly… "That's wonderful! How far along are they?"

Gobber reached into his pockets and pulled out a tooth, more specifically a small tooth, maybe belonging to a child. "They were able to get this one off of Gustav."

I blinked. That boy, Gustav Larson, was the only one under ten years of age to turn into a dragon, mostly because he wanted to catch a view of the action when the dragons and Outcasts attacked. As a result, he was now… quite large for his age, teeth included. Gobber was holding a human milk tooth, not a vicious, if small, fang. "It worked?"

"Only the teeth," said Gobber in a grave tone.

"Only the teeth," I replied. Now I finally understood why that boy seemed to be so hesitant about leaving his house this past week… It was a good thing he still had plenty of teeth to go through, especially as a dragon.

"Toothless…" Both of us cringed when we realized just how awkward how my youngest son's name became in light of what just happened. "Anyways, your son," Gobber avoid saying his name, "had to remove the talisman to change him back. So, after a little bit of bleeding, he ended up fine."

I nodded. I was a small miracle that most people did not have to experience injuries like that when they became dragons, but then again, neither of my sons had been practicing magic for very long. I was sure, there was bound to be a few mistakes, right? At least, that's what I told myself back when Hiccup started giving people black eyes when he took up crafting weapons. "So how abou-"

Before I could finish my statement, I heard two voices shouting at me, each trying to grab my attention. "Chief Stoick! Chief Stoick!" were all I could make out.

Turning around, I found Bucket and Mulch, the two fishermen and sailors I trusted to watch over my sons two weeks ago. "What is it?" I told them once the two of them moved into earshot.

They both stopped, nearly sliding on the frozen icy roadway, panting and sweating despite the temperature being low enough to force tears to freeze. Okay, maybe not that cold, but it sure felt like it. "Trader… Johann… is… here…" Mulch managed to choke out. "I really need to stop running to deliver messages…"

I eyed the two them, a satisfied smile must have crept on my face. Well, at least Trader Johann remembered what I told him last time he came on my island. "You two go ahead, tell him to start selling his wares for me," I said.

Mulch gave a salute and then headed off. Bucke did the same, but he eyed me nervously before he went after his friend, as if I wanted to have him say something. I never understood why, but that man had been mostly silent ever since he came back from the trip. But, it was his business, I suppose.

"You coming?" I asked Gobber. Maybe I could browse for something, maybe a fancy new shield or some fine jewelry. I needed to just relax and enjoy myself a little.

"Not right now," my best friend said to me. "See if you can get him to stay in the harbor til sundown and I'll see about taking the boys along with me. They told me they didn't want many distractions."

I nodded and then went on my way.

Maybe it was good timing Alvin's attack came just within a stone's throw of Winter. If it had happened at any other time, we might have never learned how handy a small crew of dragons aided in maintaining a harbor once the temperature drops below freezing.

Before, ships would be stuck where they were once the surface water became full of near unbreakable sheets of ice. All manner of sea based trade and fishing would slow, then stop altogether, once it became impossible for ships to leave their moorings.

Now that some of us were dragons, that changed a little.

As I climbed down the ramp, I saw a familiar looking Thunderdrum, Roland sitting perched at one of the piers, repeatedly blaring out his house shattering call. Each time he sounded out his call, ice cracked and worn away, the sound just as destructive against ice as much as it was on wood and stone.

Meanwhile, a Scauldron, another unfortunate Victim, blasted away at the cracks with steaming jets of hot water, cutting the ice apart into chunks like some sort of watery saw against wood. Then, a mixed team of dragons of assorted groups, all wearing harnesses with ropes attached, pulled the icy chunk away and dragged it into the open sea where it couldn't bother any of us. Meanwhile, a small team of daring and bold men and women, ordinary humans the lot of them, hammered iron spikes into the ice, so that the process could repeat itself over and over again.

It was a sight to behold, an idea pioneered by my eldest son. The idea was simple, if a little tedious, but I couldn't deny it was handy to have fishing barges working for more days than usual. That and it gave otherwise unemployed dragons a chance to make ends meet, at least until the ice gets too thick and heavy for them; they could clear the entire harbor today, only to have to start over at the next dawn, and it would only get harder the colder things got.

Also, there was the fact that trade ships can now dock in harbor instead of mooring themselves to the ice flows and forcing anyone wanting to visit to have to trek through dangerous and slippery ice. It wasn't that we, Vikings, minded the extra danger, but sometimes, we just want to go shopping without worrying about slipping and breaking a leg.

I made my way over to Trader Johann's ship, I found my way barred by massive hoard of Viking and dragon… shoppers. I sighed, Snoggletog was upcoming afterall; I figure there'd be plenty trying to nab some exotic presents if they had the chance. It was a good thing I was Chief then, there were perks to this job.

I pushed my way through the crowd. "Out of the way, Important Chief business to attend to! Chief of Berk Coming through!" I declared. No one really contested me, though a few were a little upset; I couldn't blame them, but I did have things I needed to do with Johann.

As I got close, I could hear the ship's owner shouting out advertising slogans and fancy sayings like "Snoggletog is my favorite time of the year and Berk is my favorite of all the islands! Celebrate it...with the right presents!" But Trader Johann did not sound like usual enthusiastic self. If anything, he sounded a little afraid.

Once I made my way through the crowd, I saw why. While half the deck was taken up by an assorted crowd of Vikings, the other half was taken up by a particular Zippleback with a particular set of mostly identical twins riding atop the larger dragon's four sets of eyes, they scanned the area, looking for whatever caught their eye.

"Hey, think this will go well with our yak?" I saw Ruffnut grab onto a fancy harpoon with a blue banner near the tip.

"Yeah, how much is it?" her brother asked.

Trader Johann looked nervous for a second, obviously taking into account the Zippleback on his deck. "For you? Just hand me that shield on your back."

"Sweet!" declared Ruffnut. She took off the shield from her brother's back and dropped it onto the deck.

"Hey, that was my shield!"

"Well, now it's Trader Johann's!"

"Then give me that!" snapped Tuffnut as he tried to wrest the harpoon away from his sister.

Mercifully, the Zippleback took the twin away before they could break out into a brawl. I'll admit, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were scary enough on their own, but with a dragon at their beck and call, I didn't know what to think.

Taking a deep breath, Trader Johann then called for the next customer in line to climb onboard. His expression turned into a big grin when he saw me enter. "Cheif Stoick, you're here at last!"

I returned his grin. "Well, I couldn't let you offer your wares without stopping by for a visit, now can't I?"

"Indeed, Stoick," the merchant said. He seemed calmer more relaxed, but there was still a little bit of a nervous air about."Say uh, Chief, why are there um… dragons shopping aboard my ship?"

"Oh, well, uh," I struggled to come up with a reply that did not make me sound like I had gone looney. I didn't know where or how far the Trader Johann had been in the past three months, but I wondered if he heard about the any rumor about Hiccup? I'm sure Bertha did her part letting those spread as far as the Northern Wanderers. If Trader Johann didn't know them, well, that made things hard.

The merchant then turned to the crowd gathered outside his boat. "I mean, it's not like I mind serving you scaly friends! I just want to know is all!" Well, that made things easier, it didn't sound like he knew.

"It's complicated…" I began. "They're Tribe members."

That cause Trader Johann's eyes to perk up, "Oh, so the war ended? Vikings and dragons are now at peace?" he questioned. "Do I have to start paying attention to what Nadders think are trendy?"

And as if the words summoned her, I noticed Stormfly searching through the clothing section and pulling out a purple frock, looking at it wistfully before putting it aside "You could say that," I mumbled. "I mean...the dragons, they used to be Vikings, ordinary folk."

"What happened?" he said in a confused expression. I couldn't blame him.

So, I told him the condensed version. I told how Hiccup started turning into a Night Fury and that Alvin got hold of a spear and cursed many villagers to turn into dragons. I omitted certain parts like how Toothless used to be a Night Fury or the fact that several of the dragons were really disguising themselves as humans, mostly because that was something that shouldn't be discussed in public. At the same time, the merchant still did his bartering and trading, sending customers, human and dragon alike, on their way.

Once I was done, Trader Johann just blankly stared at me, as if I had said something that rattled him to the core. He was silent, deep in thought. "Anyways, first it was Hiccup, then suddenly people started changing all over the place."

"I see…" Trader Johan mumbled to himself. Then, as if it was the only thing his head could latch upon, he said, "Your tunic seems tight on you…"

I glowered. I know that I was past my prime, but still, I wasn't getting fat was I? No, I had more problems than worrying about sudden obesity. "Don't mention it," I told the man.

Shaking his head, as if to change his train of thought completely, the merchant then said, "Hiccup must have been through quite an ordeal."

"It wasn't all that bad," I said. "Now he spent his free time doing stunt flying with his little brother."

"I suppose..." Trader Johann then gave me a frightened look, as if he knew something, but was too scared to speak it. "Still, can't imagine how this mess all started," he said.

Maybe I was a little more suspicious of people once my sons told me the truth, but I had to wonder if the merchant had played a part in any of this mess. Then again, I can't really go around suspecting everyone around me to have the power to throw lightning around or harbor magical text books; I wasn't that paranoid. Not yet. I didn't press the man any further than I needed to. "I can't either," I said.

"And I don't understand how Alvin could muster a small army like he did, especially after you broke his Outcast Island."

I nodded in confirmation. It was the one thing about Alvin's attack that bothered me more than the fact the Outcasts were taking advantage of the fact that their leader can turn people into dragons. Where did he get all of his men?

Then out in the distance, I saw another ship approach. "Hm, I wonder who that could be…" said Trader Johann.

Taking out a spyglass Hiccup had made for me so long ago, I was able to tell who that vessel belonged to."A Bog Burglar," I said. "Bertha's kid."

I really hoped she was here just to see Toothless.

* * *

**For those of you who are concerned about Val's characterization here, keep in mind this story was written before the second movie came out. Aside from that, she's obviously got a vastly different experience in comparison to what happened there.**

**For those of you wondering why Gustav suffers losing teeth and how it affected him when his teeth became those of a human, this is to highlight just how crude Hiccup and Toothless's understanding of transformation is as well as the uphill battle trying to undo a curse is. One spell is forcing him to become more dragon, another is trying to revert him back to human. Of course there's going to be mess ups.**

**The prophecy I decided to throw in as an overt foreshadowing method. As it is written, it foretells of events that will be revealed to you in time. Pay very close attention to the wording when you think it'll be fulfilled.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**So, another chapter.**

**This one is important because it finalizes the scenarios we're looking for this "Snoggletog" Arc.**

**Hope you enjoy and leave a comment telling me your thoughts.**

* * *

Enchanting items appeared to be so easy back when I was just copying the directions off of a book. Inventing new enchantments was _hard._ At first, it appeared simple; put a few fancy runes on an item and then suddenly it does something odd. If it was as simple as that, I could finally wear some trousers.

Enchanting something with what is essentially an untested idea had very unpredictable results. Apparently, you had no only to have very good grammar, but you had to _understand_ what is it you want to accomplish. So not only did you have to know the right words to make a flaming sword and have it not melt itself, but you also had to actually know by what processes the fire burns and what is it that stops the sword from melting beyond saying 'because I want it to'.

It's no wonder magic is so rare and the only people I know that bother to practice it are well past their prime. Not only did you have to develop the talent, being any good at it required just… so much work. Really, it all comes off as just impractical. Why did anyone bother inventing this stuff?

I sighed. I feel like sometimes, every time Toothless and I made some progress forward, all we're really doing is running in place. At this rate, I'll never have the chance to get Mom home for Snoggletog. Unless I wanted to ask her over while she could breathe fire; that would have been an awkward conversation…

But I wondered, did all of the complications of making an enchant come if all we wanted to do was copy someone else? Well, we were about to find out. "Alright, Toothless, just put it on the string," I told my brother. "And give it to Meatlug."

"Right!" declared my brother. He was very chipper as of late, but that's how he always got when we were at the forges; he loved working with fire almost as much as he liked our daily flying sessions.

It was time for another test, another shot in the dark at trying to understand what little we understood. Already, my brother and I have done what we could about learning those afflicted who became dragons. Now came time for a different approach, using someone who was by nature dargon.

Toothless picked up a finely crafted silver pendant, one with some words in a language we didn't speak emblazoned on its front. After the Hairy Scary Librarian translated some things for us, we now knew that it was in Latin, the words being, 'Become as a man'. It was not Norse Rune based enchanting, but maybe this would work. My brother strung the pendant on some wool and then turned his attention to the Gronckle and the large blonde boy in the room.

"I am scared…" the larger boy muttered, shaking in his boots.

"Don't worry, Fishlegs," said Gronckle. The boy didn't understand her words, but he held tightly onto Meatlug, as if he didn't want to let go.

As Toothless came closer, I held my breath. My brother might have made the enchantment, but it was because of my ideas, my crazy person hurting thoughts that he made it in the first place. Yesterday, I thought up of some plan to return Gustav to normal using a modified version of those magic arrows I knew to make; now it's because of me, he won't be eating anything but mashed tuna for a month; good thing dragons constantly replace their teeth...If anything happened to Meatlug, it would add to the growing number of people who trusted me and I had let down.

As the necklace slowly slipped onto the Gronckle's head, I almost wanted to bury myself as she twitched as shook erratically. For a moment, I thought something had gone wrong, but then I noticed that the large dragon was getting smaller, her carapace and wings receding.

Within moments, there was a large brunette girl on her hands and knees.

"Meatlug you're alright!" Fishlegs proudly declared. He was about to hold tightly onto the new girl, but then immediately blushed and dove outside. I didn't blame him. Fear of the dark was one thing, fear of… well... Meatlug. Good thing none of our parents were here.

"Fishlegs, why are you running? Did something go wrong?" asked the concerned former Gronckle as she tried to feel for any differences.

"No, everything's perfectly fine," I said. I, too, wanted to go run off, but I stood my ground. All I needed to do was pretend I was looking at something else, like the furnace on the otherside of the room. "Just go change and see Fishlegs."

"Back into my true self?" said the former dragon. "Or into my skirt and tunic?"

"Whichever," I said, not looking at her directly. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Meatlug step away and a door slamming somewhere else across the room.

Surprisingly, Toothless also looked away from the former dragon. Come to think of it, these days, I think my brother didn't need much coaching about being well, human. "So… it worked," he said in an almost monotone voice that barely disguised his concern.

I nodded. We probably would have been more excited that nothing bad happened, but none of us were ready for Meatlug. "And Meatlug's not a Gronckle," I confirmed.

"So does that mean we can make amulets that turn dragons… human?" my brother questioned.

"Apparently, it's easier than the other way around," I said. I really hope that that relative unfairness gets sorted out eventually. I would like to believe the whole of Midgard wasn't completely biased. Then again, Odin had to take pity on men before they even knew how to feed themselves...

My brother shook his head. "I'm still not getting all this sorcery stuff…I mean we spent _days _trying to fix Gustav, only to fail at it, but we turned Meatlug human in an under two hours."

"I think it's because we had something to learn from," I told Toothless as I pointed my snout at a nearby table. On it were a pair of amulets much like the one my brother had forged for the former Gronckle. One of them was damaged, the magic within it completely burning it away.

Maybe it had to do with us not using our own understanding to fuel our magic, but rather trusting in someone else's to see us through. Maybe that's why we were able to make potions that slowly corrupted men into dragons or create spell distorting arrows despite not knowing what any of the words or symbols used meant. While the words used to tell us what to do were in a familiar language, the actual things written to empower these things were all in a language that was neither Norse nor Latin, yet we could still craft these very sigils and something maybe our understanding was flawed from the beginning _because _we didn't know what we were doing and that had unintended consequences. Either way, we now knew how to turn dragons into men using a few ounces of silver and some yak hair.

This would all be easier if only we had a tutor… or I had hands.

"So…" I heard another voice enter the room. It was Gobber. "Is there any reason why Fishlegs was trying to throw himself into a well?"

"I don't know, he just ran out," replied Meatlug, also entering with her clothes thankfully on. I know it's a little crazy of me to worry about something , but I had the distinct idea Dad would chew me out if he knew we forgot to drape Meatlug in a towel before well, that happened. I mean, I haven't worn anything for two months and no one called me out on that, but I guess that might count as a perk of being a dragon.

Gobber just shrugged, as if he wasn't really all too concerned. "Alright, lad, you better get in before you catch a cold," he said to someone behind him. Fishlegs was covered by a white thick bird of frost. "I know Vikings don't get sick, but you never struck me as all that Viking."

"I...am...a...Viking…"Fishlegs insisted, shivering. I think he was regretting running out.

"Really now?" said Gobber as he slapped my best friend in the back and pushed him into the room. "Gee, all this time, I thought you were a Gronckle who walked on two legs..."

"I...wouldn't object to that..." said Meatlug.

Gobber gave the girl a knowing smile, aware of her big secret because Dad had to trust someone. "Well, I take everything went well."

Toothless just had this big grin on his face, like he was feeling smug about his own handiwork. I couldn't blame him, I probably would have looked much the same, if anything I ever made worked out all that well. "It did!" he declared, holding up the two amulets from the table. "Our first big success!"

"Jewelry that turn dragons into teenagers, what is this world coming to?" Gobber muttered, his voice tired and weary as if he was suddenly older and more exhausted he actually was, but not in a regretful way.

"Well, Toothless still has that cloak his grandad gave him," said Fishlegs. "It could turn him into a Night Fury like he did back when Alvin attacked."

"No, I don't!" Toothless insisted, before amending. "It's broken, doesn't work anymore."

"Well, then maybe you can fix it," suggest Gobber. "I mean, maybe you can get a seamstress to make the cloth parts and then do whatever that fancy hocus pocus you boys are trying to pull."

"I guess…" Toothless said, almost like he wasn't all too keen on it.

I jumped into the conversation, once I realized that maybe now we had an understanding of well, how runes worked, maybe now was a good time to try and fix that old family heirloom. "Hey, Toothless, don't you want to come flying with me?" It wasn't an invitation to climb on my back, like it might have been under normal circumstances.

I saw the lights in his head go up, as if he was thinking on it. Now I had his attention. "Flying, together?" he said absentmindedly.

"Flying, separately," I corrected. "You wouldn't have to be on my back anymore. You'd have your own wings."

"My own wings," my brother said, taking a glance at his back. He still sounded a little hesitant, maybe thinking about his old teacher.

A part of me felt… guilty doing this and maybe I was being a little… insistent on the whole cloak thing, but it was the only way I knew to really… fix things. The thing I hated most about this situation was that my brother and I were… different. As long as I have known my brother was my brother, neither of us really _stood as equals. _

Because I was no longer human, I couldn't craft things anymore, the best all I could really do was give advice and keep the fire burning, not hammer away steel with my hands or place delicate springs and string in machinery. I couldn't draw or write with a charcoal pen or inscribe fine details on paper without great difficulty. I was a world away from the rest of Berk, not even allowed to speak to all but a few of my most trusted friends and even then, some of them still never knew what I wanted to say.

Because Toothless was no longer a dragon, he was stuck riding on me; while it's been more enjoyable for both of us ever since I got my saddle, there were still limits that I just knew we couldn't break. Neither of us could race on another, try to outdo each other in a contest of our prowess…Ironically, I think that was the one thing that still made me, well, a Viking; I wanted to challenge him, not because I wanted to prove I was better, but for… the sport of it.

Right now, with all the things we had, I saw that while I couldn't make myself human, at least not yet. Turning Toothless back into a dragon, seemed far easier to do. And he wouldn't even need to give up being able to use his hands! He'd be so lucky. Way better off than I had ever been… and I think I was fine with that. I'd give near anything to not be the only Night Fury.

Now, all I had to do was say the right words. "Please, bud," I appealed. "Do it, for me…"

When I said that, I saw Toothless's expression changed into something between annoyance and longing. "Well, I guess if it means I can outgrow riding you," he muttered.

I felt my teeth extend and my mouth turn up into that silly looking grin my face did sometimes. I was overjoyed. Maybe Mom would like to see how my brother has changed, but then again, I hadn't exactly told him I was going to go see her once I had a working way to cure her.

Toothless turned back to Gobber, who just stood there, mostly listening in with Meatlug translating for him and Fishlegs. "Alright, uh, Gobber," said my brother. "Go tell… whoever you think might be best for that job, then."

"Well, he's closed right now," said our teacher, looking out of the forge. The sky was darkening, with only a small part of it still appearing to be bright and warm. If I could whistle, I probably would have done that. I forgot that with Winter upon us, the days were becoming so much shorter.

"Oh well, I'll tell him in the morning," our blacksmithing master had said. "I just hope you boys don't do something crazy like try to make a dozen of those cloaks to turn everyone into dragons…"

As soon as he said that, something, another crazy idea, dawned on me. Well, I wasn't thinking about turning people into dragons specifically, but still, it inspired me. All around me, I saw articles of clothing or jewelry used to turn people into something else. I wondered, what if that clothing could do a something _other_ than turn a person into a dragon? What if the reason the arrows never worked was _because _they kept burning themselves out, trying to break a curse with a single strike?

Before I could think about it even further, Gobber's voice snapped me back to reality. "And that reminds me, about a half hour ago, I told your father that I'd wait for sundown before letting you fellas know Trader Johann has arrived!"

I blinked, faintly remembering that is has been a while since the merchant had been in Berk. Of course, he had to come back eventually for the Winter season; I think his sales were much higher than normal when there was a pressing _need _for people to buy things.

"Wait, Trader Johann is here!" excitedly exclaimed Fishlegs, as if he was about to experience the most important moment in his life. "Oh, oh, maybe he has my new botany book!"

"Another book?" Meatlug frowned.

"And who's this Trader Johann?" asked my brother.

"Oh, no one important," I said. Just the reason we're all in this mess together, but most people here didn't need to know that. "He's a friend. He visits the island every now and again, offering things in exchange for something you have."

Toothless and Meatlug both seemed to understand. Dragons didn't exactly have what Vikings would call an economy, since none of them really understood the concept of well, owning anything except for land. But, they still exchanged goods and services, traded things amongst themselves. "Oh, I see," Meatlug said. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to meet him."

Fishlegs said, "Hey! Maybe we can get you a nice poem book!"

"A book on poetry?" Meatlug mused. I knew she didn't particularly care much for books, but I think she was interested in learning poetry even from a book. "Viking poetry?"

"Uhuh!" Fishlegs said, nodding his head as if _this _was the most important moment of his life. Before I knew it, both of them stepped out the forge, discussing of things that they might be willing to get while aboard the merchant's ship.

"I wonder if I could get something for… her there," muttered Toothless.

"Who's 'her'?" I asked. This was the first time I ever heard of him considering a girl. Then again, it was going to be Snoggletog in a month. Maybe he was getting something for someone… Well, I had to spent a few hours trying to explain to him not to try getting gifts for everyone, so maybe he was focusing on getting a gift to one of the girls we knew.

Toothless didn't answer my quest, infact, he outright denied me. "I didn't say anything!" So maybe he was planning something, I wonder who. Maybe it was Astrid or Meatlug… Alternatively, it could be something for Mom, maybe a peace offering.

Gobber laughed. Maybe he also heard Toothless's little slip of the tongue. "Well, you boys have fun now. I bet Trader Johann will be amazed to see you two!"

I owed it to the merchant to tell him came of my researching the book he gave me. I wonder what he'd think seeing me now as dragon, more powerful yet simultaneously more capable and limited at the same time. He'd probably think I'd gone mad if I wasn't several meters tall and could breathe fire.

I gave my brother a big grin as I walked outside, hoping maybe he'd lean or maybe hitch ride on my back. "You coming?" I asked Toothless.

"Yes," he said. Then, he took his walking stick and stepped right on out, a distinct satisfied air about him. "But I'm leading the way."

* * *

I think the satisfied grin on my face annoyed Hiccup. I mean, how could it not? I've pretty much figured out to avoid that little teasing gesture he liked to pull. All I needed to do was just find a wooden stick and use that to take some of the pressure off my bad leg. Suddenly, I was a little more independent, enough that I didn't need my older brother carrying me around everywhere again and my leg was just going to get even better. Maybe by Snoggletog I could finally stop having him worry if I broke a leg with every step I took.

I lead my brother the way to the harbor, carefully climbing down the loading ramps to avoid slipping on the assorted trails of frost. I felt accomplished. How could I not? I made something _work_. Father would be so proud to know and maybe, no, I was just copying off of someone else and it was my brother's idea. She'd attribute the accomplishment as Hiccup's doing, I was sure of it.

The loading ramps were surprisingly full, despite how dark it was about to become. Like amongst the dragons, the human way of life took drastic changes once things went below freezing. Agriculture was impossible and commerce wound down to only the barest essentials. Everyone stayed in doors unless they had no other choice and most people suddenly had a strange combination of so much free time yet all they could really do was stay huddled up by the least, that's how it appeared to me. Berk for the most part seemed fairly empty…

Unless Snoggletog was involved. Whenever anything, and I mean _anything, _so much as had a loose connection the upcoming festival, it seemed like the whole village didn't even seem to notice the fact that several doors were held shut by several dozen pounds of snow or that the temperature should be causing their toes to fall off. There was a strange and almost eerie vitality to the village, like the very idea of the holiday kept a man as warm as a dragon's insides…

That thought led to a completely separate and very loosely related tangent. I turned to Hiccup, who was taking extra care to make sure his tail wasn't going to be sending anyone flying because of a wrong turn. It was funny the first time, but I don't think anyone appreciated it. I couldn't help but feel how lucky my brother was. He didn't have to worry about injuries keeping him down for months or worried about how cold his insides were; even without the potion letting him heal from just about anything, he was still tougher than me. And on top of that, Father seemed to really care for him growing up, even though he was a little distant; Mother was only distant…

Maybe I am being a little jealous, self-centered. I mean, I practically gave up being a dragon even when I had so many options to change back. I had to deal with the consequences of that… but that last one had nothing to do with being a dragon. It was so unfair.

As soon as I thought that, I managed to slip and fall into a snowbank, face first, the cold white powder softening my fall.

"Hey, bud, are you alright?" asked Hiccup.

"Fine," I said bitterly. "Just peachy…" At least nothing felt broken.

My brother's concern suddenly changed into an expression of pure glee. I guess if I was fine enough to make sarcasm, I wasn't hurt. He gave me a big slobbery lick.

"Ew, gross." I groaned. I just hope no one is around there to see that. There is no way I'll ever get used to having my older brother lick me like that. Flying is one thing, but this was just embarrassing. _I_ picked myself off the ground, not Hiccup, and dusted the snow from my coat; I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of letting me use him to stand, not after what he just did to me. He knows just how much that bothers me.

Wiping the Night Fury drool and snow off my face, I saw that neither Fishlegs nor Meatlug were paying any attention to us. They were a bit farther along, still chatting about poetry and books and all those strange terms they thrown around like 'Toughness eight', 'Speed twenty' or whatever 'acoustics' was. Now, I liked reading books and listening to songs just fine, but not like those two.

Past them, I could see that that the piers closest to the new ship was full, crowded to the point that I had a hard time imagining the pier could even support the weight of all these Vikings. Infact, I couldn't see the new ship at all, there were just too many people and I wasn't exactly the tallest guy on Berk. The only thing I was really sure about was that there was a man somewhere nearby shouting catch phrases, invitations to trade. Whoever this Trader Johann was, he certainly appeared to be popular this time of year.

Thinking on it, I had no interest staying in line and I feared if I didn't get in there then and now, there might not be anything left. I was the son of the Chief after all, that had to have perks. "Right, let's go," I told my brother as I moved to get in line. Not join the end of the line, no, I wanted to squeeze my way through. At least I tried to at any rate, there was a force pulling at the lower part of my trousers, keeping me me from even attempting. "Hiccup, come on, let me through," I told him.

"It's rude to cut in line. ," he told me, letting go of my pantleg and looking me in the eye. "We can wait."

"They're just… common folk," I said with a frown. He brings this up now? "We're sons of the Chief, we do have certain privileges."

"That doesn't mean it's not rude," he insisted.

I scowled at my older brother. I didn't see why he was even bothering. I didn't really know these any people, other than they served our Father. It should have been only natural to us to take advantage of that. If no one else liked that, well, that was their problem. "Fine," I told my brother. Except that it wasn't.

"Good," he said. It was his choice, but not mine and I knew if I tried to make a break for it, he'd catch me.

Which is why I took advantage of his one blind spot. Night Furies don't really have one, not like most dragons, but my brother on the otherhand... "Hey, is that Astrid?" I declared and pointed off somewhere behind him.

Immediately, by brother's face turned pale, as if he had suddenly become a livesized snowman… dragon, whatever, of himself. He immediately became trying to shaking his body, trying to toss any excess snow away and began licking himself clean. "How do I look? Am I presentable?" he questioned, mostly to himself. He always tended to act funny whenever I brought up Astrid. A while back, he told me he was trying to do what he called 'giving up on Astrid', but no matter what he said, his actions said otherwise. I didn't understand any of it, but I suddenly found myself with a new way to distract Hiccup.

Snickering to myself, I dove into the massive crowd of people while Hiccup to was distracted. "Excuse me, pardon me, Chief's son coming through!" It was surpisingly easy, given how big and tightly packed and chaotic everyone was. No one bother stopping me, either, which I felt that was fitting. Then again, I wasn't the largest guy on Berk either. I guess being small had some advantages, too.

Pushing myself through the disorganized mob, I found myself looking squarely at the spiny tail of the Nadder, except it didn't belong to a dragon. Astrid stood right in front of me, patiently waiting a few yards away from the rest of the line. Approaching her was a particular Nadder in human form, Stormfly. "So, how'd it go?" Astrid asked her.

As soon as I Stormfly, I panicked and immediately began trying to check if my hair was neatly combed or if I some of my brother's drool still on me; I don't want her to have an obvious way to jab me in the. I didn't normally do this, but I secretly begged Odin, Thor, and Baldr to have pity on me and not have her notice me.

So far, she didn't. "Too expensive," Stormfly murmured. "

Astrid shrugged. "It's that time of year," she said in the dragon language. "Things are more expensive because people want them."

"I suppose…" mused Stormfly. "Really, unfortunate I wanted that dress."

"You'll get other chances," assured Astrid. And then pointed out to the distant horizon, past all of the dragon and human 'icebreakers' my brother hired. There was a ship, a very famliar looking ship off in the horizon, just barely visible against the darkening sky. "Hey, you see that?"

"Hey, isn't that Camicazi's?" asked Stormfly.

"Bingo."

Now I was really hoping I didn't look like a Night Fury slobbered all over me… What would Camicazi think if he saw me right now, walking using a staff like some decrepit old man? Stormfly gave me a hearty laugh that lasted several minutes when I showed up brandishing my staff, I didn't want anyone else to laugh at me like that. Maybe it'd be better if I slinked away, leaved before making a fool of myself.

And just at the same time, others began noticing. The crowd around me turned their attention to the oncoming ship and stood in place. Oddly enough, a tightly packed and still mass of Viking bodies was harder to move through than when it was all moving in a semi chaotic fashion; I tried to slip back, but I was trapped where I was. They weren't so much as panicking, so much as they stood their ground.

"Bog Burglars!" said one man.

"Incoming ship!" said another.

"Alright, alright, everyone, settle down now!" I heard my father shout. "We've got a visitor incoming, so you all need to be on your best behavior!" The crowd murmured, but they listened. "Now, someone get me my sons!"

"Overhere!" Then, I suddenly felt a force behind me push me into view. Now I was really regretting 'exercising my rights'.

My back then went straight as if it was made from a steel rod, my footsteps had the sort of heavy stomping that came naturally to people about five times my size. At least, that's what I hoped I looked like. "Present!" I said, trying to feign as much bravado as I could. I didn't want to look weak, not with Stormfly here and Camicazi coming my way.

I could swear I still see Stormfly giving me a snicker in the corner of my eyes.

"And where's Hiccup?" asked my Father.

My brother came swooping down from overhead, a short glide over the crowd and he landed on the other side of the pier, which was mostly empty save a few boxes and nets. "I'm here!" he roared. No one needed to know what he said to understand him.

"That's Hiccup?" I heard the man standing next to my father question. He strangely reminded me of Trader Al, the human guise that the Terror Flight Commander used in the King's service. Was this Trader Johann?

For a moment, my brother seemed to enjoy his flashy entrance, but one absent minded flick of the tail sent a pile of crates down into the water."Uh… sorry!" my brother.

"So that is Hiccup…" muttered the man near my Father.

Father nodded. "Alright, step forward you two."

We did so. Camicazi's ship was still a fair distance away, but I knew it'd be docking

"And you must be Toothless?" question the man. He seemed a little nervous, like I was. "Never knew you had two sons Stoick."

I nodded, nervously. Hopefully, he wasn't a dragon in disguise who wanted me dead. It wouldn't surprise me if he was, but I can't go thinking about that about every merchant I meet.

"Well, I didn't either," said Father.

By the time the ship docked, the pier had been hastily swept of any unsightly debris and a small entourage of warriors circled around me and my family; closest to us were Astrid and Stormfly, unofficially, co opted as our 'shield maidens' despite the fact neither of them had any of those on. Hiccup and I both flanked out Father's sides and I could tell he was nervous about something, just I didn't know what.

As for me, I had my own worries to think about. I felt like biting my own teeth off when the boarding plank came down. I really hope none of the girls next to me would think too poorly of me… And keeping my back like this was starting to wear on me.

Hiccup had his too, but all I could see was him trying to glance at Astrid every few seconds.

One warrior woman, a Bog Burglar who was probably old as my father was the first to leave, a scroll in front of her. She recited a lines from it, "Intrdocing, Ca-"

Or at least she would have if she were not interrupted. "Yeah, yeah. We can skip that part you old nanny," said a shrill, very accented voice. "I'll introduce myself." The warrior woman stepped aside, obviously frustrated, revealing a girl that might have been Astrid's exact double if she wasn't part Nadder. "I am Camicazi!" she said as stepped off her own ship. "And you all know me Mum as Big Bobbied Bertha, Head of the Bog Burglars!"

"And we welcome you ashore," said my Father, a small grin threatening to come out from his neutral expression. "Tell me, lass, what brings you

Camicazi's boundless smile widened. "Just seeing some friends!" I don't really know what happened, but I suddenly felt like my Father's body seemed to loosen, become less rigid. "Maybe do a little shopping for the Winter festivals."

Trader Johann gave a nervous expression, clearly he was unnerved by the sudden arrival of the blonde girl, but he was still being polite. "You Bog Burglars are… always welcome aboard my float!" He stammered. "You are such valuable customers."

"Thank you," cheered Camicazi. "But maybe later, I've got to see my friends first." Trader Johann nodded, as if he was only agreeing because he didn't want to offend the Bog Burglar. I guess he was afraid of someone who could rob him while blind… she wasn't called a Bog Burglar for nothing.

Father turned to Hiccup and me and I wanted to go do something crazy and impossible like hide until someone's helmet. "Then, I'll leave her to you."

"Thanks…Father," I stammered. "Hey Camicazi," I tried to say to her.

About the same time as Father left, the rest of the Viking crowd went back to their business. They either went home because of how late it was getting.

Astrid and Stormfly shared the same greeting, mostly because Astrid can't speak Norse these days.

Hiccup at least didn't seem all to worried about the new arrival. Maybe I should let him do the talking, I mean, he needed someone to translate for him, right?

"Hey, why don't you come aboard, where we can have some privacy?" suggested the Bog Burglar.

Maybe if most of us hadn't spent a month trapped in the same cell with her, we might have been a little scared or hesitant, but we knew the Bog Burglar enough to trust her. We accepted, though a part of me wondered why the secrecy. We all allowed ourselves to board the Bog Burglar vessel and we followed our host into hold. None of Camicazi's crewwomen were in sight, leaving us perfectly alone in a dim lit room.

"Well, how have you been?" She asked us once we were settled in.

We all gave a few statements, mostly reflecting on what's changed, all things she could have seen for herself, but I guess that was all part of politeness. I showed Camicazi my walking stick, thankfully she didn't laugh, Hiccup now constantly wore his saddle, and Astrid was turning into a Nadder.

"Gee, Astrid, it's just like your dream!" Camicazi cheered.

"Just coincidence. I mean, I should have known I was a little more vain than most people." Astrid glowered at the Bog Burglar, but no one else in the room seemed to know what they were talking about.

"If by little, you mean that you punch anyone who even suggests you wear something that you aren't allowed to fight in," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, just like this!" Astrid jabbed my brother in the jaw and almost landed a blow on me if I didn't back away in time.

Hiccup grunted a little, but overall, I didn't think Astrid hurt him as much as she should have. Then again, Astrid didn't seem too serious about it. "Are you sure the potion made you stronger? Because I'm not feeling it!" That earned him another smack.

Stormfly and I took turns translating for the two of them, mostly because Camicazi was the only one in the room who didn't understand the dragon language. "So I guess he's glutton for punishment?" mused Camicazi. "For a boy and a dragon, I guess that's not too bad."

After a few more punches, Astrid then stopped. "That was for opening your big mouth."

Hiccup licked a section of his forearm. I guess even his ability to rapidly heal didn't make him immune to getting hurt. "I don't regret it!"

"So anyways, after I heard about what happened on Meathead Island," Camicazi grinned. "About how the brave and bold Heirs of the Haddock clan, challenged a Whispering Death and beat him." The way she explained it made me wish I could puff up my shoulders and flex my muscles and actually impress someone. "I've been wondering do either of you boys have any Quests you got planned during the winter."

"Not really…" I said.

"We sort of do…" murmured my brother.

"We do?" I asked. "What's it about?" Stormfly and I leaned closer to him as if we wanted to hear him more clearly. Camicazi stayed put and waited for someone to translate… and Astrid just gave Hiccup some sort of stare.

"I…" Hiccup tried to say and he didn't seem to have an easy time saying it. Was this Quest troubling really so troubling?

"You can tell us," I assured him.

"It's about Mom…" he said finally.

I just stared.

"I want to bring her home for the Winter…"

I still continued to stare. For a moment, it felt like I wasn't even in my own body. I was just… not there.

"Toothless?"

"Are you out of your mind!?" I shouted. My outburst stopped all conversation for a few solid minutes. Never in my whole life have I felt so… betrayed, especially not by _him _of all people. There was no way I wanted _her _to come to Berk, not after all the things I had to go through, not after the things _my brother _went through in her care. She'll just… wreck the place or maybe cull the cattle or something. I wouldn't want her near any kids or even any grown Vikings!

"So… do you have a quest… or not?" question Camicazi, appearing a little sheepish.

Stormfly and Camicazi didn't so much as move their heads, they saw I had strong feelings on that so-called quest.

"We don't," I said, closing that door.

Camicazi shrugged, her composure regained. "Well, in that case, I've got a Quest you all might be interested in."

"About what?" asked Stormfly.

Camicazi scanned her cargo hold, as if she was making sure there wasn't anyone else listening in. "I know where Alvin the Monstrous is…"

* * *

**Hiccup obviously has his problems and well, learning something without a tutor is a nightmare if it's that complicated. Still, he's the one doing all the thinking and planning, Toothless just does the labor.**

**Here we see a fundamental difference between Hiccup and Toothless. I've explored a little bit about it in the previous story, but this is a character trait that is worth expressing. Hiccup thinks about other people, even total strangers and considers them. Toothless doesn't, he's way more self-centered.**

**Also, the two of them have their first real dispute. This shakes things up a bit.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**I will neither confirm nor deny the Berserkers will be involved later.**

I also don't understand what you are trying to ask me about Marco. If you would, can you please clear things up.

But anyways, those of you guys who have guests accounts, I wish I could directly reply to your questions to ask you what you're refering to.

**Anyways, great turnout for last chapter, here's the next.**

**Please enjoy and leave a reveiw when you're done.**

* * *

"I know where Alvin the Monstrous is," repeated the Bog Burglar.

The room kept silent, all of us considering my words.

I could see that 'Toothless' was shaking in his boots. I suppose even a cowardly or undeserving Kin had a few moments of real glory and bravery in their lives; that whole incident a few weeks ago might have been a fluke for all it did. Then again, he never was one of us, was he? It was so easy to think of him as human, as one of them; he has taken to his true nature all too well.

For me, it was a much simpler matter; I saw a chance for revenge, perhaps even more, a chance to win back some of what I lost and to pay my debts all at once... Now, Camicazi had my full attention. I felt my hands dance anxiously by the blade by my side, the thought that maybe I could drive it down this Alvin's throat pleased me almost as much as it would if I used a volley of spines.

He destroyed much of what I valued after all… The Flight I served was now but a memory. All of its Knights were either slain or taken captive, leaving us lowly Squires with nothing, not even a title or formality to stand behind; we were on our own.

I saw the chance to return to our Lord, our King in glory.

"What do we have to do?" I said to the Bog Burglar.

Most everyone, especially _him_, turned to look at me.

"Oh, that's easy, once we get there, Stormfly," Camicazi said. "We'll be robbing him blind."

I frowned. I saw no point to stealing something of his, not when there was something far more important to be taken. "Or we could just end his life," I supplied.

"We could…" the Bog Burglar admitted, begrudgingly. "But if not…

"Wait, how do you even know where he is?" interrupted the Night Fury in the room, his brother and I supplied a quick translation for Camicazi.

"Oh, I have it on a reliable source that the Outcasts are camping out on some island just past Hopeless Beach!" said Camicazi with a cheer.

"And you're planning to kill...or steal from him?" asked the Night Fury, again.

Camicazi nodded. "That's the idea!"

"That's dangerous," said the Night Fury. "You could all get caught! Do you know even how many guards they have or where the best places to get in and get out alive? Is what you're going to do really worth it?" I had to admit, it seemed hard to believe this one was anything like his brother. He seemed so bold, so willing to challenge, while Toothless was just so scrawny, a little cowardly even. He seemed more like Dead Wing's child than the Night Fury who wasn't. He would have made for a fine Knight. Still, I hated he had a point; that meant that I might lose this fine opportunity.

"Well…I suppose my source might not have covered things like...defenses, guard duties…or getaway locations..." Camicazi admitted. "Well, I was thinking of nicking that half-man-half-dragon freak's spear…Not that you're a freak, Astrid," she hastily added that last part.

"And really, the guy you're up against was strong and tough as my Dad _before _he became a monster. Now he can break axes apart like he would a twig. You can't really be serious on fighting him!"

I glowered. As if I was going to let myself be defeated by him a second time. I was half starved and trapped like some creature then. This time, I would defeat him.

"So now we know what you think is crazy," my Host said, a slight grin at the Night Fury.

"We both know that what I think is crazy… doesn't mean I won't do it," the Night Fury replied. "I just won't do this…" My Host grinned a little from his statement.

"And Hiccup's right," my Host added, her expression turning darker. "It's really risky. Is his spear really that worth it?" I translated for her only because I owed that much, not because I wanted to. I had found it hard to believe _Astrid _of all humans would not be agreeing with me; she had her own desire for vengeance, surely she would have understood.

"It's what Alvin uses to turn people into dragons…" I heard Toothless suggest. Well, he had his uses after all. "I guess, maybe we can use it to stop him from turning more people into dragons…or maybe learn something from it."

"We should go, anything to do to hurt this Alvin is to our benefit," I argued. I did not necessarily like backing up the runt, but I needed to do something to convince Camicazi to embark on this so called quest. Besides, even if I couldn't harm this Alvin directly, taking something of his was just as valuable.

"It's on his person, the whole time," argued my Host.

"Then we kill him," I said. I had no qualms about murdering him.

Both the Night Fury and my Host shook their heads, almost in perfect sync.

"You can't kill him," said the Night Fury. "He's way too strong, way too fast."

"Then, you should come, Hiccup! You're way tougher than you used to be." suggest Camicazi. That seemed abrupt, even by her standards. "I mean, you're strong and tough."

"When you want to be discrete?" questioned the Night Fury. "I mean, have you noticed the hard time I had just going down a ladder? Or have you noticed that I had to get new doors installed to walk into my own house? I had problems before I had to worry about my tail… now, they're even worse." The Night Fury had a point. Someone as large as him was a risk, a liability. The dark skies were their domain, not a dark corner.

"Then, you shouldn't go," I told him. "Camicazi and I will head to Alvin's fortress and deal with him ourselves."

"Wait, what?" Camicazi sputtered. "But… surely, Hiccup can come!"

"No, we don't," I said. "He is not neccesary to our needs."

"Well maybe we can have him cover our rear!" Camicazi suggested. I was surprised why she wanted the Night Fury to come along, but then again there were quite a few uses the extra Breath could lend us. "Maybe he could stay on the getaway barge while…"

"I'm not going with you," said the Night Fury, putting an end to that plan. "I don't want you guys to get hurt trying something dangerous...so if it'll convince you guys not to go, I'm going to stay behind..."

"So, you finally take a hint, _genius_?" said my Host, giving the Night Fury a heavy smack to the back.

He gave an awkward looking grin. "Well, I think getting hit in the head a couple hundred of times finally drove the point home…"

My Host only gave a curt nod. "And just to make it clear, I'm not going either."

"Well...I guess, but we can't exactly run a heist with just two people!" Camicazi said with urgence. I didn't understand that, though. Wouldn't pulling off… whatever we wanted to by sneaking into Alvin's hideaway be easier with _less _people?

"You've got your 'handmaidens'," said my Host. "You can use them!"

Camicazi then gave my Host a look that indicated annoyance, like that was something that obviously couldn't be done. "Only to ferry us!" Somehow, I didn't think any of us bought that, but then again, I still had a hard time understanding why humans bothered with those smelly wooden sheds instead of using bushes…

Still, if she wanted more people, there was someone else who hadn't voiced his opinions. Toothless sat out there, mostly only relaying his brother's words in a mildly upset tone. I could tell he was a still little upset about his brother's plan, though, my King would probably be the only person who knew _why_. Still, I didn't need to understand to know how to use that to my purposes; All I needed to do was say a few words. "But what about Toothless? Would he stay behind and cower or would he fight?"

Now, I had his attention. And as I expected, I knew what would say, I had him at 'cower'. He might have been an entitled weakling, but he was always so willing to face any challenges offered to him. He stood up and narrowed his eyes at me. "I'll fight, of course."

"Toothless!" warned the Night Fury.

"I'm going," said the younger brother. "Besides, you were willing to see Mother, that's way worse!"

"It's not!" argued the older one. "She just…

"Insane!" said Toothless.

"Neither is breaking into a heavily armed fortress!"

"We both know you'd do the same if you came up with that plan!"

"Only because then, I'd be sure to have a backup plan!"

And for better or worse, I set brother against brother. Maybe, I should have picked someone a little less volatile. But I suppose if worst came to worse, someone who was good at shooting at range might help.

"I still think we need more people..." murmured Camicazi.

"How many more do we need?" I asked the Bog Burglar; I was desperate to go on this Quest. Even if it was just a chance to take something of Alvin's, hurting him was all the more important. Thinking on it, I might not be able to get Hookfang, the entitled lout that he was to come; he had his 'leige' to take care of and I doubted either of them were assets. Barf and Belch were not exactly the most stable and neither were their new friends, also not worth taking. Which left only the bard… I suppose she wasn't too bad and that male she hung around might have provided extra muscle if he joined in. At best, I could only offer two more bodies… and they weren't all that suited to sneaking.

"I guess one or two more."

"Great," I told her. "I can arrange for it." Meatlug was hurt quite a bit by our old teacher's death, not as bad as I was, but maybe enough to motivate her to aid me.

The two brothers were still arguing, my Host was between them, stopping them from coming to blows or doing anything other than yell and shout. There were some… creative insults, several of which I think I gave Toothless not too long ago… My Host spent her spare time glowering at me. Hopefully she forgave me.

"We don't need them," I assured Camicazi.

"I suppose that's all that we need," said Camicazi reluctantly. She clearly wanted the Night Fury to come along for some reason, but there was nothing we could do to force the issue. He was not going to support this, there was no forcing that.

At that moment, my Host thought it would be prudent to let the the two brothers go up to the surface, before their little spat got even more out of hand. Who would have ever guessed that the two of them would be having a little domination contest? But I suppose that's males for you.

I was about to go leave myself, but then I felt something grab onto my hands. "Can you stay a while?" asked Camicazi, holding me back.

Feeling somewhat obligated to heed the command of the one who gave me what I desired, I closed the hatch and climbed back down. "What is it you need?"

"I was just… thinking," said Camicazi.

"Thinking what?" I asked. "About the heist? Or..." Whatever it was we were doing if we could kill Alvin.

"Assassination," supplied Camicazi. "But no, I can handle the rest of that on our way over."

"Then, what were you thinking about?"

"I'm not really sure," she gave me a curt little grin. Great, she didn't even know what she was thinking… Well, I suppose I had time to spent on idle gossip, good friends are hard to come by.

Still, she was technically my friend. I refused the urge to just go climb out of the hold. "You wanted me to talk about something you hadn't thought about…?"

"Well, no," said Camicazi. She then began looking at the area around us, as if to make sure no one else was listening. "You know… Toothless is coming along right?"

I frowned. Why were we suddenly talking about him? "Uh, yes, he is," I confirmed. Even if I didn't want him to come; he was just going to drag us down. But I needed him to win support to even launch this little journey.

"I was just wondering… what you thought about him?" Camicazi asked.

"What I thought?" I repeated. "He became a Squire," I said, anything else might not have been best not said in polite conversation with friends. I mean, I am still a little upset about being detailed for several weeks because of him. I suppose the same can be said for my Host as well as a certain Gronckle, but I settled that account later.

"I see…"

"Why, what do you think about him?" I questioned.

Camicazi's face turned thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Well, he's not bad, well, for a boy, I suppose." Because for Camicazi, being a female apparently made you inherently just better; I can't say I disagree...

"He's not the best, either," I informed her. And that was just being generous.

"No," she admitted. "You know, I actually once played a game of 'Spin the Bottle' with him when we first met."

"You mean that thing with an icicle?" I questioned. Far as I could tell, the human version was about the same, with the only difference being what's used to point at a hapless victim.

"Yeah," Camicazi grinned."Actually managed to freak him out when it became my turn."

"Really?" I grinned. I suspect Camicazi might have pulled off some crazy stunt like steal the former dragon's linens or steal a whole room. I wouldn't put it past her. "What did you do I wonder?"

"Oh that? I just… said he didn't look half bad."

I froze. "Wait you were… seriously considering a mating proposal?" I mean, it was the first thing to roll into my mind; we were in the season for it.

Camicazi's grin burst into laughter. "No! You were just like everyone, always assuming what I said was some sort of romantic thing!" she said, much to my relief.

"Good," I replied, once I got my composure; the Bog Burglar was still laughing. The idea that Camicazi would willfully pursue anything with _him _seemed almost bizarre.

"Still… he doesn't look half bad," Camicazi murmured. "And he's got a little spunk in him."

"I suppose not," I confirmed. Just as so long she wasn't thinking of taking him for a mate.

"Say, I have question."

I raised an eyebrow, giving her a silent "What?"

"What if… you had to stay human forever?" she questioned.

I blinked; where had that question come out of? "Why do you wonder?"

"Just… wondering," she said simply. "So, what if one day, you take off your amulet, you don't grow back into a Nadder?"

"I would…" I tried to say something after that, but the words just wouldn't leave my mouth; the ideas just died, practically stillborn. What would I do if I suddenly found myself among humans for the rest of my life? What would it be like to have to never fly again? Or have to worry about certain faces of the moon? Clothing, I loved, because I thought it helped me express myself more, but… the thought of having red hair instead of horns for the rest of seemed almost frightening.

"Would that also mean you had to take a human husband?" Camicazi added, making me the question seem almost unimaginable. My Kin only took mates for the Winter and for the earliest child rearing phases, after that, mates split off, dividing of the younglings. Humans valued things differently; their mating never ended. What if I had to take a human husband, one that I was by oath to never leave?

Shaking my head and realizing I would waste so much time mulling over the possibilities, I quickly came up with a very impulsive response. "Maybe, if I thought he was good looking…" I said.

Camicazi seemed to consider that for a moment, which I knew wasn't good all of the time. "How?"

"Well, he'd have to be unlike most of the other males," I said. "The big brutish types on Berk might not be my type…" They were also not Kin, but that would defeat the point of this question.

"So you maybe like Toothless?" she asked. "He's definitely different."

"No, I will not take Toothless as a mate," I said.

"Well, I was saying someone like him," Camicazi corrected, a wry grin on her face. I really should just stop getting to draw conclusions when I was around Camicazi. "But since you brought it up, how would it be if you had to take _him for a husband?"_

"I'm not doing that!" I insisted

"Why not?" she questioned.

I groaned. Did I really have to explain myself? I thought she would have seen why it was a bad idea. "He not… one of us," I said. "He's different." Even back when we were young, there was a very clear difference between us and it wasn't the simple fact he a Night Fury, a rare and elusive Kin that I had only ever seen two of. In addition, Toothless aged differently, staying a child long enough for hatchlings that were born when he did to grow into adulthood and have their own young. Now that the truth was out, it was clear that he wasn't even Kin to begin with.

"True," Camicazi admitted. "But if you were never a dragon again, you would be too different either…"

I frowned. Would I really get so desperate for a mate that I'd have to take husband like him? In fact, our apparent ages were very close, and the difference between our actual ages would decrease as we got over. If I had to stay human forever, would I begin to see him as not as bad?

No, that's not what I'd do! I'd rather be celibate if that was my choice to make. "No way!" I told Camicazi."Can we stop… talking about these things?" I shouted. I was hoping my Host would not hear of this outburst or was not silently peaking in… Even worse if _he _was here.

The Bog Burglar backed away. "I suppose that's enough gossip for one day…"

"It is."

"We can do more later," she assured.

"Right..." I said. We'll obviously need to do something to spend the time while sailing to… wherever it was this Alvin took refuge in.

* * *

"You can still stop them you know," I told the Night Fury. "All you'd have to do is say something to your Dad." Turned dragon looked at me, his scowl darkening. He wasn't in a good mood, especially since yesterday.

"I'm not going to, Astrid." Hiccup replied drearily. "If Toothless wants to go off and get himself killed, who am I to stop him? If you want to stop them, go ahead." he suggested, almost cold.

Past the cliff's edge, I could see that Camicazi's ship just about to leave the harbor. Even this far up, I could still recognize the heads of some of my friends: Camicazi stood at the center, barking orders. Toothless and Fishlegs were on oneside of the deck, waiting things out while the girls Meatlug and Stormfly were doing things like manning oars or taking orders from the Bog Burglar Captain.

The whole trip had been pitched to Stoick as a "chance to strengthen ties between Hooligans and Bog Burglars", but no one else really knew what it was for. It was a crazy idea, for the four of them to go alone to face Alvin without any support. By all rights, I should have just told the Chief about it and had them all stranded on the island and yet, I didn't; I couldn't really. I promised Stormfly that I'd give her revenge and I couldn't stop that.

As they disappeared off in the distance, I felt my heart sink. I always hated that feeling, that sense of dread and worry in the pit of my stomach. I had no way of knowing if anyone was going to make it back and I wouldn't know for sure until they either sailed home or several months passed. "It's too late for that now..."I said to Hiccup.

"Good," said the dragon. It almost seemed… bizarre, dreamlike , I seen him, depressed, down, usually after a big failure, but this was something else. For the first time, I saw Hiccup... like this. He was so cold with that same half-vicious, animal-like scowl and burning glare I once earned from his Mom. Weirdest of all, I think I might have been scared of him; that was not funny, not sarcastic. It was terrifying.

And all of that was being directed towards Toothless, someone who was not even there. Yesterday, they had their first big fight since…ever. At first, it started about their Mom, Hiccup talking about how as her children, the two should have allowed her to visit Berk. Toothless disagreed, saying the fact that she's not exactly the most stable dragon in Midgard. Then the conversation went on to other matters, like how Hiccup was being so overprotective, about how Toothless really should start thinking about other people, which I believed were both very accurate points. Then, like any argument between two mad people, they resorted the name calling. Through out all that, I did the smart thing and kept my mouth shut.

After that, well, things became worse. Hiccup tore off his saddle and nearly had it burned to ash. Toothless was going off on this voyage, now intent on spending as much time as possible from his brother. Really, I'm surprised Stoick isn't seeing any of this, because if he did, he'd probably be asking questions instead of saying how responsible his sons were being.

I really wanted to snap Hiccup out of it, to grab that soft spot by Hiccup's chin and send him into a daze of pleasure and warmth, but somehow, I got the impression he wouldn't appreciate it right now. Still, could I leave him like this, upset at everyone?

"You know…" I began. "Camicazi's plan isn't all that much different from yours." No, I couldn't. I wanted to be there for him, yet at the same time, I wanted to point out just how much of a hypocrit he was being…

The dragon narrowed his eyes at me, a low growl escaping his clenched teeth.

I steeled myself, this was still Hiccup, right? I mean, he has a hard time willfully trying to hurt anyone, let alone kill anyone. I mean, he was just having a bad day. "Look, Hiccup, I agree with with Toothless your plan was crazy." I was surprised that instead of biting me or sending me to the ground, his growl died down as a look of shame flashed briefly on his face. Of course this was still Hiccup, why was I getting so worked up over a weak growl?

He snorted, "That's what you said last time."

"I mean it, when it comes down to it, your idea to meet your Mom on the island with the King in the mountain, that's not exactly the smartest thing you ever came up with." I told him.

"Right because you know how well every other plan I came up with ended…"

"That's not what I said!" I shouted. Why did he have to be so stubborn? "Hiccup, last time we were there, you Mom nearly…made you someone else. You would have… forgotten everything." Even his friends, like me.

"She still my Mom, Astrid..." said the dragon. "I couldn't just leave her."

"She attacked the Tribe and nearly killed your Dad at least a dozen times," I reminded him.

"I know," he said. "But if I can do this, maybe she won't have to anymore."

"People won't forget that she helped hundreds of Vikings getting killed…" I said. On top of other property damages.

Hiccup stayed silent and looked up at the light snowfall coming from above. He clearly didn't have a good response thought up.

"Hiccup, why do you want to help her?" I grabbed his attention by drawing closer and placing my hand over his paws.

He looked at me, almost shameful. "Astrid, I just wanted to… fix something that was broken." Now it was my turn to become temporarily mute. "Mom and Dad, they've both been alone when they raised Toothless and me. If I could break the curse on Mom… maybe, I could finally say that for once, I really did something _good._"

I stared at the dragon, thinking how I was going to respond to that. He wanted to bring his family together, to finish its one big problem and set everything straight; I could really relate. After a brief pause, I finally realized what I needed to say to him, "You already did plenty of good things."

Hiccup looked at me, stunned as if I threw a pile of stones at his face. "Uh… what?" was his only reaction.

Realizing I had a chance to maybe get to him, I took it. "Hiccup, you did plenty of good things," I said. He still looked at me as if I was some sort of madwoman. Maybe, I was; I've hung around Hiccup enough. "I mean, you… organized a massive jailbreak Outcast Island."

"To save my own skin…" he said, as if selfishness somehow downgraded his actions.

"You saved your brother how many times?"

"He hates me..."

I rolled my eyes, he was just full of excuses wasn't he? "You fought off powerful and dangerous enemies, forcing them to retreat."

"I-I'm…" Hiccup was at a loss for words.

I pressed on. "Hiccup, you're not a total failure. Most people don't do half the things you do..."

Hiccup had his head pointed at the ground; he couldn't even look at me straight in the eyes. "Most people don't end up getting their brothers hating them for accusing said brother of abandoning their mother," he said.

"Toothless will forgive you," I hoped. Hopefully being gone for a day or two did work a wonder or something.

"I still feel bad about it…and with Toothless gone, I don't know how I can work on any of the magic things."

I nodded. Apparently, one of the big rules about the sort of sorcery Hiccup and Toothless were learning was that you had to directly make things,or at least be able to write. Since Hiccup couldn't lift a hammer or use a chisel, well, that really put a damper on his work. He could only write on wood but apparently, that was a big no-no most of the time. "You can wait for him to come back."

"Maybe…" He didn't seem all to thrilled about that. Still, it was better than him being perpetually angry.

"Or… we could go and see your Mom."

Hiccup's tail and wings involuntarily went up in a startled display. "Astrid, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." I don't know why I bothered even suggesting that. Maybe I wanted him to realize something or to be fully convinced that he had my trust or maybe I just knew what it was like to want to fix something. I would have given anything to fix my old axe, to achieve greatness with it by my side, but I knew that was impossible. Maybe I wanted to give Hiccup the same chance I can't have. "Listen, if you want to go and bring your Mom back home, I'll back you up if you want. Then when Toothless comes home, it'll be a big family reunion."

Hiccup looked as though he were experiencing something horrific. I know I was, I was still feeling a little awkward. "But last time that happened, you were captured for a month!"

I smirked. I knew what I'd say to that. "Then you'll just have to break us out again."

"But what abou-"

"And before you say anything about me getting hurt, I'll just recover from it like you do…"

"But you'll…"

"Become Kin," I said flatly. "A Nadder like Stormfly." I pointed toward my rear, a short, somewhat spiny tail stuck out from beneath. In addition to my massive scaled feet, they were the most annoying things in the world because my body and my clothes didn't compliment them in the least; now I know what it's like to be Hiccup, always knocking things over. Stormfly is actually quite aggressive in a scrap, much better than some people I knew… Still, I find it somewhat odd that I see that my change is more annoying than anything else. It doesn't scare me, not in the least. Then again, there weren't questions raised over the 'humanity' of anyone who was becoming a dragon.

Hiccup looked at me, still skeptical. "So… you'll really join me?"

"Yup," I said. It'll also be a good thing to finally be able to talk to more than just a few of my friends again; I hated not being able to speak Norse. No one understood me at all, now I understood the world Hiccup and the twins lived in. "We'll have to figure out when we want to go."

"We can't tell Dad or anyone else where, but maybe we can just spent the day over there and come home during the night." said Hiccup.

I nodded. It seemed reasonable, but at the time same time, I felt uneasy. Maybe it was the thought that if I didn't make it home for dinner, my parents might think I went missing; or worse, on a date. I mean, I like Hiccup and all, but, I mean my parents kind of blame him for the fact I was starting to… change, which is sorta true. I didn't blame him for it though, I didn't feel changing into a Nadder was all that that bad, really. A part of me just can't wait to get it all done and over with, just so I could see myself… Wait, what was I thinking about again? Oh, right, Hiccup's Quest. "You'll have to fly me then."

Hiccup face contorted into a smile sans teeth. "Well, you can wear Toothless's outfit and we can make it there in record time…Good thing most of my outfit survived my hearth."

"Stormfly and I both agreed it looked tacky," I told him. That did nothing to wipe off the big grin on his face.

Just for that, I decided to give Hiccup a little something.

A smile dawned on my face, distracting the Night Fury for a few vital seconds. He always seemed to pause a little every time I gave him a big grin. I knew just how I wanted to take advantage of that.I approached the dragon and gently reached down to his chin and...

Hiccup pulled away at the last moment and took a step back into a heaping pile of snow."Astrid!"

"Oh, so you're learning!" I declared, my grin becoming more manic. "Come here!"

I lunged forward and the dragon, but he kept evading. "Astrid, now's not the time for that!"

"Sure it is," I contested. "Now stand still!" Maybe, I'm being a little over enthusiastic about trying to hit that spot on Hiccup's body that'd send him to a relaxed daze, but I didn't mind.

Besides, Hiccup was a friend, a good friend who stood by me through thick and thin. I just decided that in addition to helping him out with his problems, I'd solve the issue of his really bad morning by forcing him to relax the rest of the day.

Being friends with him just meant I could get away with it.

* * *

**This chapter is me setting up everything, to depict everyone making the desicsion to go out. Now that it's all setup, let me inform you both that this story arc is actually two-in-one.**

**What could possible go wrong?**

**I will admit that I wish I realized I put more Hiccup-Astrid interactions in to last story. I'm remedying this now.**

**As for Toothless, we've got an interesting dynamic with Stormfly and Camicazi brewing. Even outside of shipping, it's quite fascinating.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**This chapter is slightly later in the day than I normally would have delivered it, but I did manage to post it during the midday.**

**Anyways, read and hope to hear from you soon.**

* * *

Never in my whole life had I have ever felt this odd mix of emotion. Before today, I never knew I could get so angry at anyone, let alone my own little brother. I mean, how could I not? He was delibrately refusing to help our own mother, that's not something I could easily let go.

Astrid's little talk cooled me down, enough that I wasn't constantly thinking insults to throw at him when he go back. She was right, maybe I went a little… overboard when I started throwing insults around. I mean, I did call Toothless a 'cripple' but he started it!

Then, Astrid gave me a fang toothed grin, sending me chills down my spine, as if she knew what I was thinking about at just the right time.

I returned one of my own, pretending I was not thinking of the best way to strangle my brother the moment he returned on Camicazi's ship.

Apparently satisfied, the young shield maiden went away, leading me forward.

If I had to describe was feeling, it was like I had swallowed burning coals. The fire was still raging in me, but it was subdued and dying. I was still so angry, yet I was so aware of how wrong it was to be mad. I want to let go, yet I still can't; not with the image of Toothless's words to me still stuck in my head.

Which is why I'm going to smother it the only way I knew how, by keeping busy. I still had a mission and with or without… someone I shouldn't be even thinking about.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Astrid said as she lead me through trees. We were already far out of Berk, and getting farther still.

"I am."

"I mean, you do know he's…. changed, right?"

I nodded. "So I heard."

"Okay, just don't-"

"Yah!" I heard a shrill, high pitched voice cry out nearby. I didn't have time to register if it was in Norse or dragon, but then again, it was just a shout, a warcry. Then, A gout of flame erupted out of nowhere, causing me to reflexively duck. A tree branch from just above me fell off its trunk in a burning heap.

Astrid gave me a look of disappointment. "I know, I know." I mean, I was fire proof and I didn't need to worry about burning, yet sometimes, I was scared of fire. Toothless would be… no, no not right now.

"Ataboy!" I heard a different voice declare in excitement. This one in dragon.

"But, sire, I really advise against that…" a third voice, Hookfang, spoke with great exhaustion. He was speaking in his native tongue.

Approaching the assorted voices, Astrid and I quietly made our way forward.

Before us stood a trio of Monstrous Nightmares, in assorted various sizes. And they saw us, in turn.

I easily recognized Hookfang by his utterly massive size and his reddish orange coat. He looked at us with a pleading look, as if he was at his wits end and barely keeping it together.

The next Nightmare was not at all monstrous. In Fact, he was both smaller and far younger than the other two. Gustav with his lighter, practically orange coat flicked his tail happily and kept spewing gouts of flame in random directions, showing off. I heard he had gotten a little close to the fighting when Alvin unleashed his curse. But it seemed the former boy was having the time of his life.

The third was a Nightmare I had never seen before. His scales were a much darker red, practically a crimson color so deep that I had a hard time seeing the dark spots on his seemed very happy to see us. "Astrid!" said the unidentified dragon.

Or more rather, Astrid. "Uh… hey Snotlout." I blinked when I heard that. This was Snotlout? I mean, I know that he changed, but seeing him was just something I couldn't prepare for.

"Have you come to see me?" the new said excitedly.

"Kinda," Astrid said. "How have you been since-"

"Oh, um…" Snotlout quickly interrupted, as if he didn't want that statement to be finished. I mean, my cousin sometimes, did that for me, but I knew something was up if he was interrupting _Astrid _of all people. "Uh...I'm just peachy camping out here in the wilderness!"

"I don't think camp should be in walking distance of-" I tried to inform him, but I was cut off.

"Pft!" grunted the new Nightmare. "It's still camping!" I mean, this was at best, maybe a ten, twenty, minute walk away from the nearest building. That's not really all that far.

"I know you're the one who's been stealing from the granary every day." I said, referencing some of the daily reports my Dad would often groan about every dinner. Technically it was a nonissue since as a dragon, Snotlout was allotted daily provisions. It's just… that apparently he went out of his way to steal the food instead of doing something like ask someone to hand it to him...

"So? That's… foraging." I know I might not be the best wilderness survival expert, but even I knew that was wrong, way wrong.

I just shook my head in dissatisfied embarrassment. "Anyways, we were wondering if you guys would like to join us for a trip we'll be going to from now until the end of Winter."

"Where?" my cousin replied.

"The Nest."

Snotlout gave me a confused look. "What?"

Hookfang explained, though I imagine he wasn't exactly feeling so proud about it. "It is our home, my liege. Where our other Kin are..."

Gustav spoke up. "That'd be cool! We could meet... our other Kin, real ones." How Gustav knew was that was beyond me. "like Hey, we should go there!"

Hookfang's discomfort was easy enough for me to see. He clearly had issues with going back home. "That… might not be wise, young Nightmare..."

"Yeah, we should go! The young Nightmare was right. is right!" agreed my cousin.

"Young Nightmare?" Astrid and I both questioned.

Snotlout did an impression that might have passed for a shrug. "Well, we can't say his old name! So until we come up with a new one, he wanted to not have one!" It was one of the weird things about the dragon language. Names of people didn't always carry over, especially since dragons couldn't make the neccesary sounds. For instance, my name of 'Hiccup' was easy enough, almost exactly the same thing, as was "Snotlout". Astrid's name directly translated to 'beautiful', so whenever I wanted to say her name, I used the word 'beautiful', though she did always blush just a bit whenever I did.

"Yeah! Yeah! I hope it's much cooler than my old one!" Gustav confirmed. Unfortunately, he had the misfortunate of having a name that did not have a direct translation in Dragonese. His name if broken down meant 'Staff of the Goths'; when any of us dragons tried to speak it, it came out as 'really long walking stick used by some far off people'. It's pretty understandable, why he didn't want us calling him that.

I don't know why, but hearing him say that made me shudder. It reminded me of just how close I was to just I was to… not being myself anymore. I could just have stopped being 'Hiccup' and adopted some more dragon appropriate name like Firewing or Terrible Breath or something. I mean, it might have just been bad memories doing the talking, but the idea of just… discarding your own name like that sent shivers down my spine. Worst part was… what if that still could happen?

I shook my head, forcing on _way _less distracting matters. "Astrid, we really can't take him," I said.

Astrid noddingly agreed.

"Aw, but why not?" Gustav and Snotlout both protested.

"You have to go back to you parents!" Astrid told Gustav. "I mean, sure I got you transfered to learn under Snotlout and Hookfang, but that doesn't mean following them _everywhere_."

"Aw, but Mom said, I could!" complained the little Nightmare. Well, relatively little. He was just a bit under Astrid's size, making it somewhat easy to forget he was much younger than he looked.

"Go home now," Astrid said in a voice of firm command. The little dragon then dejectedly walked away.

"Eh, don't worry kid!" shouted Snotlout to the younger Nightmare. "Come by later tonight!"

Those words seemed to perk up the younger Nightmare's soured mood and he ran away with a more upbeat pace.

Hookfang gave a relieved sigh when we could no longer see him. "Oh… perfect."

"So anyways," Astrid began. "You coming with us...or not?"

"I have a better idea…how about we go alone?" Snotlout said, in a somewhat revised version of that flirty tone he pulled whenever he wanted to try getting Astrid's affection. It was… really bizarre. A part of me almost felt it was exactly the same as before, back when we were all human, but with a few growlinging, or animalistic noises mixed in. Yet at the same time, I could tell it wasn't, like he strangely had this animalistic pressure to him.

I glanced at Hookfang, wondering if he might had something to do with that. "Don't look at me; I had nothing to do with it!"

My cousin's tone was so strange, so unfamiliar, I almost forgot to compherend what he actually said. Fortunately, Astrid had her own reply. "How bout no?"

And one lump on the forehead later, "... Uh, sure, let's go with everyone!" replied Snotlout. "Glad I thought of it!"

And now came for the hard part. "Say, Hookfang, would you like to come?"

Hookfang seemed a little uneasy when I said that. "But I still have to do classes for the trainees."

I don't know why Hookfang was so nervous, but I couldn't help but feel he was just coming up with excuses. "Well, they're doing fine now that you helped them through the first and hardest parts." I said. "Dad won't mind if you were like Stormfly and Meatlug and took a few days off if there's no need."

"Yeah! You should come, too, Hookfang!" agreed my that Snotlout had accepted, I had more leverage to put on Hookfang… Not that I didn't want Snotlout to come, I mean, he was probably good to have if things went really bad in the King's Domain.

Hookfang shook his head. "But my liege…I don't think I shoul-"

"You should come along!" insisted Snotlout. If he was upset, he was too elated to show it.

"Snotlout! I can't go back!" Hookfang shouted. That stunned us for a moment. he said once he had all of our attention.

We stood there, for a solid minute silent, until we broke free one at a time.

"Uh, Hookfang…" said Snotlout in a concerned tone.

The Nightmare backed away. "I…Just...I'm... Sorry… I-Maybe..." stuttered the larger dragon. And then as soon as it happened, that outburst disappeared.

ssert himself and use Snotlout's actual name was different, something I wasn't used to seeing. "Okay, then. Well, you don't have to come," I said. Even though the whole reason we're here was because I felt we needed a native guide. Hookfang was the only one left on the island I felt could help us navigate the King's domain safely. While, I did have some idea of where to go, I doubted it was anything of a complete map.

"Well… maybe, I should come," the dragon said.

"Yeah… you should..." agreed Snotlout. He sounded more wary, as if afraid the larger Nightmare might suddenly attack him.

"Alright, Snotlout, I'm coming..." groaned Hookfang, I couldn't tell if he sounded depressed about his outburst or because he was being forced to come as long as I knew him, Hookfang had always seemed to be a very passive yesman. To see him… assert himself or even use Snotlout's name like that seemed almost more unbelievable than the fact that we were all dragons...

"Right…" Astrid said. "We'll see you both after lunch."

"Uh… right," agreed Snotlout.

And then, Astrid and I left, taking to the skies. She didn't have the safety harness I made for Toothless, but that didn't as much matter for these short distances.

"Okay, now that we got our guide taken care of, what next on our agenda?"

"Just, one last thing," I said. "We're going to have to say some goodbyes." Of course, we were going to come back to Berk every day before supper, but there was one person who was going to be leaving before I returned tonight.

I landed us on the docks and I found myself greeted by people I wasn't expecting.

"Uh, hey guys!" I said to them, trying to sound as cheery as possible.

Four sets of eyes, four of them dragon, four of them human looked at me with distaste. The twins and their friend the Zippleback, Barf and Belch seemed upset at me.

"You invited Snotlout?" Tuffnut complained.

"And not us? said Ruffnut.

I gave a very big sheepish grin. I turned to Astrid for help, but she just gave me that 'I don't know what you're talking about or who you are' face. "Uh…" I tried to say something, but I came up a blank.

"You are undertaking a dangerous Quest," said Barf.

"And you leave us behind!" said Belch.

"It's not that I don't want you to come along!" I tried to say. Then I forgot, that the twins couldn't understand me… well, they couldn't before either, so I guess that's not much different. Still, I tried to say words to Barf and Belch, maybe they could use whatever strange method they used to have the twins understand them. "Listen, it's just…"

"We've decided to tell you," Ruffnut interrupted.

"That we're not going to speak to you, Tuffnut added.

"But…"

"We're not talking to you!" said Tuffnut. "Whatever you're saying..."

Barf then said, in the dragon language, "He's just confused."

Tuffnut then nodded his head in understanding. "Ah, well, we're still not saying a word to you."

"But you keep talking to him, genius!" Ruffnut pointed out.

"I know I am but what am I?

"That doesn't make any sense."

That's because you're not a genius!"

At this point, I found myself becoming a little wiser by just walking around my four friends; Astrid was way smarter than me and made her way to our destination while I was distracted.

By the time, I boarded Trader Johann's ship, I found Astrid writing words out with charcoal tipped pen on some parchment, using the paper to communicate since she couldn't speak Norse anymore.

Trader Johann looked at pages, reading them. "Well, that'll depend on how long it takes…"

Both of them had their backs turned and neither of them know I was coming. Strange how that sometimes, despite the fact I was way bigger than most anybody, I was quite stealthy when I wanted to be. As I got closer, I could Astrid wrote the words, 'HE SHOULD BE HERE ANY MINUTE NOW.'

After reading that, I felt like now was a good time to introduce my presence. I slammed my tail into the ground repeatedly, making a very audible thumping noise that drew their attention to me.

"Hm, what took you so long?" said Astrid, a smile of feigned innocence plastered onto her face.

Tradr Johann's motives were a little more pure. I didn't blame him for being cautious around the twins and their Zippleback. "Hey, Hiccup! How's my favorite…" He tried to say, but merchant was at a loss for words. "...dragon," he said in an awkward tone, as if he was suddenly just realizing it. Well, to be fair, last time I actually had a word with him, I wasn't larger than that bronze statue of some large yak he had on display.

"I'm fine; it's not all bad..." I said. Astrid wrote that down for me, allowing Trader Johann to read it. Again, I really wish I had that collar Toothless and I wanted to make working so I could directly talk to someone whenever I wanted to.

"Well, if you say so," said the merchant. Gave me another look and frowned. "Still, I can't help but feel… responsible." He said in a hushed tone. Even though the ship was empty right now, aside from the three of us, mostly since Trader Johann ran a sale lasting well into the night yesterday, I figure he didn't want to make himself a big target by announcing he was the reason the whole dragon/human barrier seemed so flimsy right now.

"It wasn't your fault," I had Astrid write down. "I'm the one who decided to go try out some crazy spells I learned."

"Well, I do kind of owe you though," said the merchant.

"You don't!" I insisted. "I mean, the deal was I'd tell you what I learned… well, I learned not to be more careful of where I learn things from.

Astrid made a face at me. "Just take it!"

I sighed. "Fine."

Trader Johann seemed relieved. "Well, if you need anything that I can give, you can have it… Not that I know what I can give a dragon, mind, but..." Then some idea must have lit up in the merchant's mind. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where this little brother of yours I keep hearing about is? I've been wanting to meet him."

'HE'S AWAY," Astrid wrote of her own accord.

I didn't say anything. I was doing all this busy work to keep myself from thinking about Toothless, now he's come up again and now I just didn't know what to think.

My blood didn't feel like it was burning hot with rage, my heart wasn't thumping out hatred with every beat. The fire inside me had been smothered in its entirety, leaving nothing behind but ashes and guilt. I mean, what kind of brother was I? Letting him go off to get himself killed without going there to protect him?

"Uh… Hiccup?" I heard Trader Johann call to me. I was snapped back to really, realizing I was still at merchant's cargo ship. "Well, I was just thinking, maybe if you want I could offer to give your brother anything in my store...but if he's not here… well maybe I'll find him when I make my rounds to the other islands," he explained, as if nothing had happened.

Inside, I felt like I was being offered a chance to redeem myself, a chance to at least set something right in a minor way, even if it was a crazy and nigh impossible way. What were the chances Toothless would run into Trader Johann in the Barbaric Archipelago sometime before Winter ended? Those odds were pretty low… and I was used to that. So, I took them. "Go ahead," I told the merchant. Maybe with a little luck, Toothless will find some use for Trader Johann's favor that I couldn't.

The merchant nodded, accepting. Turning out to sea, I could tell that Trader Johann was oddly fascinated by the working dragons and men laboring to break the ice from the harbor. "It's amazing, isn't it?" Trader Johann said. "Never in all my years have I ever seen such a thing."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Just something I… " Now that I thought about, I didn't know where I got the idea from. It just sort of popped into my head. Everyone one had a role to play, that was vitally important no matter who or what they were, higher or lower. If enough people didn't do their jobs, the whole thing fell apart.

Ronald the Thundedrum made a pass by the merchant vessel and prepared the ice so that it can be sliced into chunks by the jet of hot water the scauldron would blast it with. Pretty soon, Johann's vessel would be set free.

"Well, I'll be sailing South," said the merchant. "Making my way down to where it gets warmer before the whole ocean decides to freeze on me."

I nodded. Sailing alone in the Winter was pretty dangerous, especially with the cold weather freezing things or occasionally sending volleys of hail. There was also the fact Trader Johann would have to ration out his firewood to last him until he made his next landfall. Still, the aging traveler has sailed the frigid Winter seas numerous times before on his own, what was another one?

Now, I just wished Toothless was here, not running on some adventure on some dangerous probably exotic place. And it wasn't just because I didn't want him facing certain doom…. Now, I owed it to him, as an older sibling to set the standard, to be a good influence. I hoped that Odin, Thor, Ægi, Kári, Freya, Freyr, whoever, it almost didn't matter; I was just hoping that if there was anyone of the gods that favored me, they'd make sure Toothless met Trader Johann and got whatever he wanted from the wayward merchant.

Shoving those thoughts out of my mind, one last time, I instead thought of an island with a tall mountain. I still had a goal in mind and… maybe if Toothless never meets Trader Johann, I could at least let him meet someone else.

* * *

What if Mother did came home? I wish I could stop thinking about it, but the the idea was constantly in my thoughts. I kept imagining how it'd all play out, none of it good. I imagine she would show on Berk, a Night Fury wrapped up in all of her horrific glory, and start terrorizing the kids, maybe setting fire to our house, or maybe breaking Father's heart; she wasn't human. It was so frightening to know just how it'd all play out.

And my brother would be the cause of all of it! How could he be so blind? He never seen how vicious she could get when she was in a bad mood, how strict and how unforgiving she could be for failure. I'd sooner forgive Stormfly for a lifetime's all of her humiliation or give amnesty to the Whispering Death for a lifetime's night terrors before I would let Mother step another paw on Berk.

I stared out at the ocean, my anger became stifled at the thought that I could prevent it from happening. Now that I wasn't there, there was nothing to stop my brother from enacting his foolish plan. I should have just stayed behind, maybe just a little bit longer to talk some sense into Hiccup. Or if anything, told on Dad or something… Maybe if I told Camicazi, I could have this ship turned right around and return home in no time.

Then I turned a glance at Stormfly, sitting crosslegged by the ship's main mast. She was spending her time polishing her sword, making sure it was spotless.

No, I had to go on this voyage. Stormfly was right about me, after all. I was weak, not all that special; I only got as far as I did in the Knighthood because of what I was born as, not being I had any skill or merit of my own. All I ever did to her was get her stuck in prison. More than anything, she _deserved _the chance to face Alvin.

She kept polishing her blade, unaware I was looking at her. Now that I thought about it, with the sun directly on her, I can't help but notice just how bright, how vibrant her hair was, like I was looking at a warm bonfire. Her teeth were smooth her skin was-

Stormfly turned and looked at me. I quickly jerked my head away, pretending I was watching the sea rolling by. Hopefully she never knew realized I was spending so much time staring at her. Just what I was I thinking? Looking at a girl like her was just asking for trouble, it didn't matter why… Though, I couldn't really explain why I did it.

Keeping her in my peripheral vision, I saw her express what must have been a look of confusion before turning back to her shining blade… It somehow didn't seem to glow as much as-

I immediately bolted before she would decide to run that sword through me on the off chance she felt like it. I made my way over to the hatch that led to the hold, thinking that maybe I could be alone down there. I would have climbed down if I wasn't stopped by a voice calling out to me.

"Hey, where are you going?" Stormfly question me, not taking her eyes off weapon.

"Uh… you wouldn't care to know…"

"Perhaps," agreed the girl. "Still, I am curious as to why you're going..."

"Why do you wish to know that?" I didn't feel comfortable being in the girl's attention, usually it was a setup for something far more malicious or cruel.

"You've been sitting there for several hours," Stormfly said offhandedly. "I simply wanted to know why you suddenly decide to leave now."

I blinked, not really realizing how long it had been. Now that I thought about it, she was right. I think my back had a cramp, a sort of soreness that came from sitting at such an odd angle.

Worse, I realized now that even if I wanted to, I'd be forcing Camicazi to waste extra time sending me back. Maybe if this heist didn't take too long, I could stop my brother's crazy plot before he did anything major.

"I think I've had enough of the sea for now," I told Stormfly. The Nadder simply shrugged, not even bothering to turn her head from her blade.

Figuring that I lost her interest in me, I delved down into the ship's cargo hold unimpeded. The hold was mostly empty with at best a few barrels of food, likely to keep the ship as light as possible. There were a few lit lanterns around.

Upon entering, I realized I wasn't alone. Now, I know that as a fully staffed Viking ship, Camicazi's vessel would have had several sailors, her servants, manning every part of it. The thing was, the cargo hold was simply just that, a place to store cargo. There were very few, if any, positions that required someone to man, well, I suppose, in this case woman, the cargo hold.

Well, I didn't find any of Camicazi's handmaidens.

Instead, I found my friends, Fishlegs and Meatlug. More specifically, Meatlug was in human form, her back against one of the walls of the hold. On the other side, was Fishleg… doing something I found so horrible that I could practically feel myself dying on the inside.

It was something that made me feel worse than flying, sailing, or cold weather ever did. Now, while I had gotten used to each of those things after spending enough time, what I saw down there in the hold, I knew I would never get over.

Meatlug had this big grin on her face and enjoying it for a reason I could _never _really understand… I would have thought of all dragons, she would have been the one to take offense and put a stop to this… horror.

Fishlegs was clearly enjoying it, completely oblivious to what suffering he was inflicting on me. How anyone on the main deck didn't notice what was happening beneath their feet, I would never notice. When he was done, the large boy looked satisfied, as if he had won some great distinction.

Meatlug burst into a roar of applause, the only one in the room who was actively cheering.

"You're so sweet," commented the Gronckle in disguise.

"NO!" I protested. "Don't do that again!" I begged.

"Why?" questioned the Gronckle. "It's only singing!"

"That's not singing!" I countered. I saw Fishlegs take a step away, the smile of satisfaction evaporating from his face. I quickly realized I needed to change gears, not if I didn't want a certain Gronckle to be upset at me. "...Sorry," I quickly said. "You just need more practice…"

"Well… I was off key," admitted Fishlegs. "I do need more work…"

"You were fine… for a novice," said Meatlug.

Fishlegs grin of satisfaction returned then. "Well, maybe you can help me out with that."

"I would love to," Meatlug replied. Thankfully it looked like I quashed her anger before it could boil to the surface. She had something far more important, more meaningful to think about.

I decided I wanted to quietly step away before Fishlegs would start singing again. I didn't precisely dislike either of him, but sometimes, I just don't want to have my ears would bleed on me… though I wouldn't be opposed to Meatlug's singing in her actual voice.

But before I could leave the duo, I felt someone's big meaty hand grab onto mine. Turning around, I found Fishlegs's massive palm engulfing my palm. "Hey, wait, Toothless, I've been…" he kept stuttering.

"What is it Fishlegs?"

"Well, you see…Uh..." he still kept stuttering.

I glowered. I wanted to say for him to spit it out.

Meatlug sighed. "Fishlegs has been thinking," she said.

"Right!" the boy's comfirmed.

"Thinking what?"

"Well… don't you think it's odd for Camicazi to want Hiccup around I mean?" explained the blonde boy.

I shook my head. "No," I said flatly, trying to suppress my emotions upon hearing his name.

"On a stealth mission?" Fishlegs pointed out. I frowned, not really seeing what he's getting at. "Night Furies are many thing, but… not all that good at sneaking around tight corners."

"He can fly and remain unseen in the night," I replied.

"That's handy, but there's no guarantee it work or even be useful. Alvin could be in an underground shelter for all we know."

"My brother is also… cunning." Or crazy, depending on his mood. "He could also have brought his Breath to bear upon Alvin's forces if we needed it."

"Maybe," said Fishlegs. "But then why does she want _any of us_?"

"Because we're…" I wanted to say 'friends', but then I remembered we're not exactly an elite force of noble warriors. It's one thing to ask your friends to fight by your side, it's another thing to ask them to walk into danger. Then again… this was Camicazi; she'd consider that the right thing to do.

"Camicazi is Heir to the throne of the Bog Burglars," reminded Fishlegs. "She's got probably a hundred warriors at her beck and call, and that's before you remember her personal hand maidens!"

I tried to think of some other justification, but I just couldn't really think of any really good reason. Why were we here?

"And then there's this whole plan itself," added Meatlug. "She hasn't exactly explained why she wanted _us _to come along to _fight Alvin._"

"We're going to steal from him," I corrected.

"You know what I mean," complained Meatlug. "He's near unbeatable and she's asking us to go into his lair. Unless we're pre"

"I'm sure she has her reasons." I said. But now I saw what was bothering them. It seemed… almost counter intuitive to bring us along, even more so Fishlegs and Meatlug; they were many things, stealthy was not one of them.

"She might…" Fishlegs replied. "We might just be worrying about it too much…"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I could check it out," I said. Maybe it'd also settle my own discomfort.

With a nod of my head, I left the hold and climb back onto the top deck.

Stormfly was where I left her. Now that she was done polishing her sword, she started tending to herself, using a bronze hand mirror to see her own reflection. I quietly avoided her gaze, though a part of me just wanted to keep watching.

The dozen or so warrior women that crewed the ship were still busying themselves, making the sure the ship was heading the right course. Maybe one day, Father could show me how to sail a ship...like how, no, not thinking of her.

Camicazi was easy to find. She was by the ship's mast, barking orders to her crew from the center of the action.. I moved past Camicazi's 'handmaidens' and made my way to the Bog Burglar Heir.

Camicazi didn't see me as approached from her, since having a conversation with a young lady who sat ontop of the mast, one of her few handmaidens who actually looked like a maiden. "We better be there before nightfall! I want enough time to scout the defens-" Camicazi shouted.

But as I felt my business with her was more important, I interrupted the conversation between the Bog Burglar Heir and her subject.

"Camicazi!" I shouted.

Before I knew what happened, I found myself on to ground, a painful feeling in my chest and blade in my face. Camicazi was ontop of me, her face red with anger and twisted into a snarl. "Stay back you rotten, two bit..." Then her anger went away, replaced by unease. "Eh, sorry Toothless." She sheathed her blade and got off of me.

"Uh… thank you for not killing me," I said.

"Sorry, I'm just a little jump."

"Little?" I said. It made sense, we were going to Alvin's… wherever he was. It was pretty much a given that she'd be on edge. At least, it might have made sense for anyone else; Camicazi always seemed to be constantly cheery.

"Alot," she admitted with a frown. "So much is riding on this mission."

"I figured as much," I said. "Same with Fishlegs and Meatlug." And myself, but she didn't need to know that, especially not with Stormfly within earthshot.

"Really?" Camicazi muttered in a somewhat cheerier tone.

"Yeah," I told her. "They're wondering why you brought them along." Among other things.

"Well, every big heist needs some muscle every now and again," Camicazi stated as a matter of factly.

I hummed, thinking about it. That did make sense, at least in my mind. Extra strength seemed handy to have, especially if one need to do something like breakdown a door. Yet, that didn't explain why we needed _Fishlegs. _"But why them though?" Or me at all? Stormfly was pretty much the only one here who actually made sense to bring. "Don't you have like, a couple dozen warriors who'd

"I do…" Camicazi admitted. "But, it's not the same, now is it?"

"It's not?" I didn't break my gaze away from Camicazi, but I could practically _feel _the gazes of her crew upon me. They didn't like me questioning their heir.

"It's not," Camicazi confirmed. "I… needed you all to come."

"You did…"

"Especially… you."

I wanted to say something, but my body suddenly felt limp, like I was a loaf of soggy bread. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to think. This was… Someone didn't just want me; she _needed_ _me._

"You needed _him_?" I heard Stormfly say, almost as stunned as I was.

Camicazi just smirked and gave an off balance shrug. "Yeah, he'll be a big asset when we finally make our attempt."

"When is that?" was the only thing I could manage to spit out. I was still too awestruck to think of anything else, but the most automatic of replies.

Camicazi then turned to the girl on top of the mast. She held her spyglass, searching for near invisible landmarks in an endless, featureless ocean. "An hour or so before we reach the island," she said. I knew my way around based on the stars, but how anyone was able to just look at an empty expanse and tell where they were was beyond me. Still, it just… felt right.

"Great!" Camicazi cheer. "We'll be beginning our heist on Alvin's camp tonight!"

* * *

**Let's play a game. Can anyone predict what I'm going to pull out seemingly from out of nowhere, only for you guys to realize the things I've hinted in the past.**

**I mean, there's a ton of threads that you guys never got confirmation on from Becoming the Enemy, several of which are still running. Tell me, what do you guys imagine I'm going to bring up next, I'm kinda interested.**

**Also, don't you guys think it's somewhat appropriate that the chapters during Dragon Mating Season will be bringing out so much shipping related materials and fuels? Normally, I wouldn't do this, but then again, this seemed like it was just the right time for it.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**Let me just warn you right here, right now, we're about to embark on an emotional rollercoaster. Hope you guys tell me about your thoughts on this chapter and the next.**

**Anyways, enjoy. **

* * *

A part of me just really wanted to cut loose, to go as fast as my wings could take me. Another part of me warned me that I had Astrid riding atop my back. At the same time, yet another part of me told me that Astrid was wearing that protective flight suit keeping her attached to my upper back and she probably wouldn't forgive me if I ever told her I didn't think she could handle the the crazy stunts I did with… someone who I really should stop being mad at.

But reason won out in the end when I reminded myself that I didn't even know where I needed to go. Now, I even though knew how to reach Helheim's gate, that still didn't help me find my way to the island itself. The King's Nest might have been a volcano, it was still a single island in a really vast ocean. So to save time, I had Hookfang leading the way.

The Nightmare was in front of me, leading the way forward, flew right beside the other Nightmare, apparently getting the whole flying thing a little faster than I did, but still looked very clumsy at it.

Astrid was right on top of me, hold on tightly. "So, how far do we have to go?" she asked.

"Yeah, this is getting boring!" Snotlout commented. "Where is it?"

"Not far, my leige," said Hookfang, almost regretting this task.

"Hey, it's better than how our parents would have done it!" I told them. Ever I've spent some time traveling all over the place, the world didn't seem to be that big of a place, especially after learning how to fly. A fleet of Viking longships might have taken several hours to reach Helheim's Gate, sometimes the journey lasted from the sunrise to sunset. And that's not factoring the time being spent trying to find a single island that's been veiled by perpetual fog, covered to the brim in sea stacks and shallow reefs, and tough Honor Guard trained in exploiting the dangerous terrain.

For those of us who had the bene? We were only maybe less than half an hour in and we were already above Helheim's Gate. We completely avoided the fog and sea stacks altogether, not even needing to worry about running aground because of poor visibility or getting lost or stranded. To be honest, I almost felt like we were cheating; though if my life was some sort of Cosmic game, which honestly would explain more about me than it should, I'm pretty sure new rules were being invented on the fly every five minutes.

Hookfang then veered a sharp right and I followed. Then when we came upon a trio of ships that somehow managed to get themselves stuck on the very top of some sea stacks, Hookfang made a sharp turn left and started flying back the way we came. I still followed And that only the beginning. I think once or twice, we exited Helheim's Gate only to reenter it from the same spot.

Astrid was the one to voice her concerns. "Hey, are we lost? We kinda passed that same wrecked ship three times, already."

"No…" Hookfang said with surprised confusion, as if he didn't understand what was wrong. "This is the route I learned to take."

"Isn't it just simplier to go in a straight line?" I asked. We were making all sorts of twists and turns that just seemed unnecessary to do or made us cover the same area twice, inexplicably. Why couldn't we just travel in a straight line in a straight line?

"Yeah, To-," Astrid caught herself before saying his name outloud.

"You can say his name, Astrid," I said, almost dull. I really need to get over my issues with Toothless one way or another.

"Well, aren't you a tough guy," Astrid muttered. Hopefully Snotlout wasn't jealous. "Anyways, Toothless had his own way and that one seemed to be a little more straight forward. We only had to avoid debris or sea stacks; we never had to… backtrack so much. "

"That's odd, how did he manage to find the get the red painted ship carcass without going to find the one the Bones of Scarfring three times?" said the Nightmare, giving out directions that made no sense to me. Still, I kept following him, since was our best bet.

"Wait, what?" was the only thing Astrid and I could say.

Hookfang shook his head, clearly not understanding us anymore than we did for him. "I still don't see what the problem is," he said.

Then, Hookfang veered another left, turning himself around again for possibly the fiftieth time.

When I turned to join him, I was expecting to see what I had seen previously throughout the whole of Helheim's Gate: an endless blanket of fog dotted by stone pillars. What I didn't expect was a large mountain, a volcanic island that somehow managed to be completely free of any and all fog, the King's Nest.

"But… how?" If my jaw was long enough, I think it could have reached the bottom of the ocean… while I was still flying! We passed by that area not only seconds ago and there was nothing there. The mountain itself was so tall that it should have been perfectly visible maybe a mile away since we flew over the fog back. Yet somehow, the Nest was right directly behind us, yet never saw it until Hookfang gave us an incredibly nonsensical directions.

"We're here," confirmed Hookfang, not even bothering to explain himself. I guess that was fine, Astrid and I were still reeling, our minds trying to grasp why just happened. "Sweet! Now we can stop flying, my arms are getting tired!" said Snotlout. He didn't seem to be phased at all, not even wondering how a mountain just appeared out of nowhere

"Wings, my liege."

"Whatever!" Then, in a softer tone, Snotlout asked. "Hey, what're they doing down there?"

Below, I could see a sandy snow frosted beach, surrounded by dragons. What must have been over a hundred dragon were gathered there, all into big groups depending on their 'Breed' was. "Oh that, my liege?" said Hookfang. "Those are simply the mating rites…. usually they are done elsewhere, but-"

Before he could explain further, Snotlout interrupted him and wondered aloud, "Mating rites huh? Oh, they gotta tell me how they pick up chicks!" Then, he flew just ahead of me, enough for me to catch the toothy grin on his face… I knew it was being directed at Astrid though. Then the Nightmare descended downward toward a group of a dozen Nightmares gathering for what looked like a big wrestling competition.

"Snotlout! Our Lord is not that way!" shouted Hookfang. But the other Nightmare didn't listen. Hookfang looked at me pleadingly, wondering what he should do.

"You can go ahead and keep Snotlout… preoccupied." I told him. "We'll just meet up later on."

Nodding, Hookfang descended after Snotlout, leaving me alone with Astrid.

"Great, now that Snotlout's tried every other he knows, he's going to try to learn things from Nightmares to try woo me over," Astrid moaned.

I couldn't help but grin at that. I guess even Snotlout can't get over Astrid, either, not even when it was becoming clear to both of us we're all going to be ending up different types of dragons than her. Still, the idea that Snotlout would set up a wrestling competition to woo over Astrid seemed kinda hilarious since he'd be the only one who could eligably compete; every other Nightmare was already married anyways. "He'd have better luck trying to use Nadder mating rituals."

Astrid groaned. "Don't make give him ideas. Not if you don't want me to keep touching that soft spot by your chin," she threatened.

"So that you could plummet to your death?" I questioned, albeit jokingly with my face in a grin. "Besides, you like punching Snotlout!"

"True," she admitted. And then… she gave me a small jab at my the face of my neck. "Almost as much as I like punching you."

"Hey!" I said, but for that, she gave me another jab, as if toying with me. All be it, I didn't exactly mind it.

"That's for being someone I like punching!" she declared, clearly she was messing with me; that that I minded that coming from her. "Now move it before I decide to give you another one!"

"Gee, now I almost don't want to enter." I said, but instead of wasting even more time, I went forward and dove straight into the peak of the seemingly extinct volcano.

The first thing I became aware of in the darkness was the sound of dragons talking amongst themselves when they became aware that a Night Fury and a human have both arrived in the Den. The dragons were all situated in the various raised platforms that dotted the enter chamber, above the deep, clouded abyss that hid their King from veiw.

"Is that Dead Wing's eldest?" said one, starting a slew of comments from the other dragons.

"Hadn't he disappeared without a word?"

"What is he wearing?"

"And why does he bring that small Herd runtling into the King's Domain?"

After hearing the same four or five questions asked over and over again, I tuned them out.

I wanted to see the King first, not only because it was polite, but I figured if anyone knew where my Mom was it had to be her boss. Yet, my focus wavered when I heard one of the dragons. "My Liege! You've returned at last!"

Turning my head, I found one of the dragons, an old Gronckle, one that I recognized from the last time I had been here. Beside the old Gronckle were somewhere over a dozen other familiar dragons of various types. Dimly, I remembered last time I saw these dragons, they swore an oath to serve under me and accepted them. I guess since I had to be taken back from the dragons while I was unconscious, I forgot about them… and that made me feel very guilty. Deciding that maybe I could spare a few moments to greet them and to explain a few things, I flew toward the dragons.

Once I got closer, the dragons… my servants all backed away, giving me room to land on their platform. As I set my feet down on the stone platform, they all gave me various bows and accolades.

"Squire Night Fury!" shouted one Nadder

"We just _knew _you weren't gone!" said younger Nightmare, one around half the size of Hookfang.

"Oh, yes, when the Herd had abducted you, many of our Kin have chosen other masters, but we knew to stay faithful!" announced a Zipple back, each head saying one word at a time.

"Uh… thank you," I said. Now I just felt more guilty. Here I was, completely forgetting about them all, yet they still decided to call me their liege, their master. I didn't come back for them, it was only coincidence I we met again. That was not how a responsible Chief should have acted.

"And what is this creature that you've taken?" said the Nadder.

"It is clearly some sort of small Herd creature!" said the Nightmare

"And yet," said the Nadder. "It is so hideous, Look at its tail and feet. They parts are clearly a reference to my Breed. This creature must be some sort of prever mockery..."

I didn't take any stretch of the imagination to imagine Astrid's glare. I was the target of it more times than I care to admit. The other dragons rightfully backed off, all afraid of the much smaller, mostly unarmed human atop my shoulders. "Hey!" she snapped. "I know what you're saying and I don't like it!"

"It speaks?" questioned the Nadder, stunned. In fact, Astrid's words alone sent the dragons into a daze. I knew they never spoke to a human before, mostly because of the whole issue with languages, so this was probably their first time any of them ever heard a human speaking in their own tongue.

"Yes, I can talk…" Astrid moaned. "And I know when I'm being insulted."

The Nadder was clear the most upset of the dragons, the others were still trying to wrap their minds around the whole situation "Insulted? You're… you're… some sort of aberration! You should be thrown at our Lord's feet to be judged." the Nadder said after a struggle.

"Been there and done that!" said Astrid.

"I should-" The Nadder was about to come up with a reply, probably take down Astrid, but the old Gronckle intervened before the whole situation could escalate violently.

The old dragon bowed to me. "My liege, I do not know for what purpose, you bring this creature into our realm, but I advise you to destroy it or offer it to our King…"

I shook my head, rejecting the idea before it even began. Astrid had my back and I had hers. "_Sh_e-" I corrected him. "-is my friend." If Astrid's word stunned the dragons for a moment, then my simple declaration caused them to give me looks of disbelief and wonder aloud if this was some sort of twisted nightmare… the dream kind, not the dragon kind.

I felt a playful jab at the back of my neck, Astrid giving me her affectionate punching treatment. "Good going, Hiccup," she laughed. "You sure always know the right things to say to upset people." She was clearly enjoying the look of the Nadders' face the most.

"But my leige… surely you can't even consider this _thing _as… worthy of that?" asked the Nadder.

"Astrid is my friend," I insisted.

"It, she, has a name?" questioned the younger Nightmare. It probably had to do with the fact that most dragons never had their own names until they really did something to set themselves apart from others.

"An ill fitting one at that! That thing being 'beautiful?"" said a different Nadder. He received a warning glare and took a step back.

"Hiccup, I think we should go… I know you used to put up with this sort of thing, but I'm not going to stand for this," Astrid told me.

"No, not yet," I said. Not until I get something else done first. For the first time since I had seen. "Guy, I'm sorry I haven't come back for a few months, but I'm… here now and I'll be here for much of the Winter. Now I'm not going to be at the Nest all the time, but I'll be back every day because I have business with the King."

The dragons all nodded, their tails flailing and their heads bowing. They clearly accepted that and they seemed like they were looking forward to it. I felt guilty for not telling them everything, but after spending months not telling Dad about Toothless, it was easy to not reveal anything.

Then I continued. "But before I see the King, there are something I need to tell you."

"What is it you need our leige?" declared a Zippleback who had both heads speaking in unison.

"You must follow Astrid's commands as much as you'd follow any mine or the King's," I said to them.

They all fell silent, frozen. I would have said that they were stunned, but that didn't fully convey what my words did to them this time. None of the dragons so much as blinked or even breathed in and out. They were frozen, like I had turned them into statues.

Then, I continued, "Astrid is my friend and someone I trust in. You are to obey her in everything she says, understand? Next, you cannot call if call her a monster or a freak or some other unflattering thing, you have to apologize to her. Even now."

The still dragons didn't move or blink, but I knew they were still listening… and many of them were not exactly pleased to hear what I was telling them.

So, I decide to wrap up what I wanted to say. "If any of you aren't willing to stomach that, then you're free to leave my service; I don't have any need for you if you're not willing to also serve her."

Nothing happened for a solid minute; the dragons were all still stuck in whatever poses they were in the moment I gave them my command. Eventually though, they started to move again, like they had suddenly remembered what it was like to move themselves.

"Then… I shall leave, you then," said a distraught Nadder before flying off. A few other dragon left the platform, too, each giving their own apologies or excuses as they flew away. That process continued until the platform had been divested of maybe half of its original occupants. As it turned out, most of the one that left were Nadders who felt Astrid was mocking them specifically. The leftovers all spoke to themselves, wondering if staying was the right thing or not.

The old Gronckle, clearly the wisest of them all, was the first to bow down to me. "I do not like this one, my liege, but I shall not abandon you."

"As will we," said a Zippleback.

I nodded to them. "Good. I'll see you later then; I have to speak with the King." I said before I myself had left.

I descended downward the chasm, Astrid still ontop of me. She hadn't said a word or did anything to me after I made my declaration. If my words froze the dragons for a minute or two, then mine might have hit Astrid all the more.

Finally, she spoke to me the moment we were away from the other dragons. "You know… you didn't have to do that.

"I did," I told her. It felt odd to be the one giving orders for once. I felt like my own words, my own decisions had meaning; I was the one in control of things, what I wanted mattered and others followed my command…

"But why?"

"For… you," I said, hesitantly.

I heard Astrid give a small chuckle. "You know Hiccup, you're a pretty good guy," she said to me. "I'm sad never got to know that until, well..."

"Same here…" I said mournfully.

It was times like this that reminded me that the worst part of being a dragon was I would never have a chance at her. Now more than ever, I felt like I actually might have won her over yet I can't take it, not when we were both destined for different paths. I mean, if our friendship now ever grew into something more… what'd we have to do then?

"Is something wrong, Hiccup?"

"Uh, nothing! Nothing at all!" I blurted out. " I mean, it's not exactly a secret I had a crush on Astrid… it's pretty obvious that every other boy my age did. But I still can't help but feel embarrassed to tell her about. So, I decide may the best way to avoid embarrassment from still having a crush on her was to change the topic to something a little more serious. "Hey, we better hurry!"

Then, I performed a steep dive, forcing Astrid to hold on tightly to the saddle as we descended fast as an arrow traveling in flight. "Hiccup!" she shouted on top of her lungs.

At the last moment, I extended my wings, catching whatever air I could underneath. My descent slowed to a crawl and I landed gently onto one of the three bottom platforms, the ones nearest to the King and just barely covered by a layer of fog. I was actually quite surprised none of the Knights or Flight Commanders were gathered there right now, but then again, I doubted the King needed anyone to stay by him to protect him. Mom was probably out patrolling, so maybe I'd have an easier time to do what I intended to do.

Astrid got off of me and hobbled a few steps, looking weary. "Remind me… never to go flying with you whenever you decide to do that…" she groaned.

I did a little sheepish grin. "Sorry!" I told her. Hopefully Astrid wouldn't hate me too much for what I just did.

Bringing her hands to her temples, Astrid did what she could to get over what must have been an annoying migraine since all the blood must have rushed up to her head. "Right, so now we face the King?"

"To find Mom…" And maybe see if she could come home for the winter.

I made my way closer to the edge of the platform I was on, ready to do probably what was both the safest and most dangerous thing I ever did. "Ruler of all Kin!" I shouted into the foggy abyss below. "I seek an audience with you!"

As soon as I said those words, it felt like the entire world shook, as if the World Tree itself, Yggdrasil was being rattled on like a sapling. A voice, one that came from a being that easily dwarfed my own existence reached out from below me, resonating in my mind like I was listening to Odin or Thor, a god, speak. **"Arise,** **eldest son of Dead Wings and speak."**

I could just barely see the King's massive form in the darkness and fog. I shivered, almost at once realizing how insignificant I truly was. But no, I had to do this. Steeling myself, I spoke once again. "My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!" I shouted. I might as well, say something, anything to help me get used to talking to...him.

"**I should warn you, child, about clinging to your old name. You still yet cling to a life that devalued your own existence. You should have just let it go to live amongst your Kin." **Suddenly, I felt a wave of crippling depression, like I suddenly became aware of how right the King's words were. No one on Berk, really… really valued me as more than annoyance, a pest who sometimes did something good… I mean, it's my fault that pretty much everything in the past few months happened, right?

And then, I felt a warm hand being placed upon my shoulders, calling me back from… whereever the King sent me. Astrid stepped forward and told the King these words, "I valued Hiccup, enough I was willing to trade something away! Now I'm share his fate! And I don't regret it!"

If I ever had any guilt and shame for the whole mess I put Astrid through, back when she took part in the same curse I was under, that was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of pride. I was not alone in this.

The King's head poked itself out of the fog and looked at us, his many sets of eyes seemingly able to peer into our very souls. He laughed as us, almost amused. **"Nor, should you regret, young Kindred," **said the King. **"I can already see that you'd make a bold, yet beautiful Nadder. You are not at all a fragile rose in a garden that is beautiful for a time yet withers and dies at the slightest, but an hardened gemstone, enduring yet fit for nobility."**

Astrid stopped moving, her eyes staring blanking at the massive dragon. Was she receiving a vision from the King? Or something far worse?

"Hey!" I shouted at the King. My fear of him vanished right the moment I knew he was doing something to _her_. "Let her go!" The King was not going to… unmake her, not like he almost did to me.

The moment I said that, Astrid averted her gaze from the massive dragon and began breathing deeply; she was free.

The King's massive gaze turned back to me. **"Worry not eldest of Dead Wings; I have done nothing to her other than propose a possible future."**

For a moment, my eyes became cloudy as I began to see what the King had planned for me. In the vision, I saw myself, older, wiser, and more successful, yet still a Night Fury. I don't know how I did it, but I forced it away, bringing myself back into the real world. "We're not here because we want to join you!" I blared.

"**Most impressive, child. Most Kin do not even understand how to fortify their own mental defenses. Truly you are a prodigy." **The King seemed almost amused, as if I was some favorite student who did something super impressive, like Gobber when I created my first sword. That disturbed me more than the fact that this being once tried to twist my own memories to his own desires.

Astrid, still a little shaken from… whatever the King showed her, "We're here have business with you

Done flatting me, the King's expression turned hard, **"Then me, children… what is you seek?"**

With whatever resolve I managed to pull up still burning with in me, I told the King. "I want to bring my Mom home!"

"**But she is home, amongst her Kin," **said the King. What went unsaid was his counter proposal, that we belonged here as well, but Astrid and I both knew it was there. **"You should instead** **offer to send those suffer the same affliction to me; the Corrupt One's curse cannot be broken. Our new Kin should accept their fate and abandon their old homeland."**

The King's words didn't rattle me as much as his praised did, but it still sent a shiver up my spine. The King knew all about the dragons on Berk, the ones suffering Alvin's curse. I figure he probably still had informants or paid attention to rumors in the Viking lands. Yet, he clearly knew something I didn't. I had suspected the curse that fell upon Mom and her crew might have been the same the one Alvin brought to Berk. "What are you talking about? Who is this Corrupt One?" I muttered aloud.

The King gave a hearty belly laugh one that shook loose stone. **"Young Night Fury, I would imagine that having learned of the ways of the Oathbreaker, you would know who I speak about." **

I couldn't think up of anything. I knew he was talking about Odin, since Oathbreaker was one of his titles, but that didn't help me other than let me know that the King knew about Nordic tradition. "Because I should know everything about what the gods do," I said dryly. "I don't know who or what you're talking about."

The King gave a laugh again. **"I suppose it cannot be helped then. Stories… histories are forgotten so easily. I saw there to see the Kings in the Desert abandoned their own traditions to follow the Sons of the Wolf, only to in turn forget their own past to f" **

"Who are you talking about?" Astrid questioned. Neither of us knew who the King was talking about, the King was pretty much talking in riddles.

The King shook his massive his head. **"No one that matters to you**. **Suffice it to say, I know from experience what it is like to be forgotten… Civilizations rise, fall, and remain buried, from first unto last, from the mighty to the weak. All ways of life come to an end."**

Whatever he was talking about, I had the feeling I didn't want to know too much more. I mean, did I really want to focus on the fact that maybe one day, there might not be any more Vikings? So, I decided to get us back on topic, something more understandable and comfortable to deal with. "We're not here for this!" I shouted, just so I had the King's attention. "I just want to bring my Mom home, even if it's just for the Winter! Mom…. Dad, they deserve a chance to see each other again."

I immediately wished the King didn't have his eyes locked on me. Any moment now, I imagined I'd turn into a puddle. **"I will not allow her, she is clearly not one of the Herd. She does not fit in." **

"I know how to turn her back!" I shouted. Astrid and the King both looked at me, as if they were surprised.

"**Child, I know that you have great potential, but in all of the lands I had traveled in, the greatest sorcerer-priests could never abolish the Corrupt One's curse. "**

"I don't intend to!" I said with a cocky grin on my face. "If I could change her back… would you allow her to return home?"

"**I have no control over my servants… they can choose what they desire in their free time. So long as tributes are met and duties are followed as is required, I have no need to restrict the freedoms of my lesser Kin. I suppose if even my greatest servants wish to spend whatever leisure they had on such… deviant activities, I have nothing to complain about," **said the King, all but giving me permission to take my Mom back home. Now… all I had to do was see her and figure out a way to put my plan into action...** "Still, I question your methodology, your technique. By what power do you seek to unravel such a potent enchantment?"**

"Just a crazy idea… I don't know if it'd work yet, but it made sense." I felt the King's will trying to reach into my mind, wondering what I intended to do. I let him in, only enough to see what I had thought of.

His smirk could have bisected a village. **"Most impressive, a cunning plan," **he mused**. "So you intend for this creation to circumvent the curse entirely…"**

I nodded. "I lack the understanding… or the ability to make it myself, at least for now, but I figure you can take care of one of those problems."

"**And you wish to bargain it from me? To use my own understanding of the fundamentals of our universe to create your desired enchantment?"**

Astrid grabbed my head. "Hiccup, are you insane? I mean, not only are you going to let him go through your mind _again, _you're also asking something that's going to cost you. How are you supposed to get the King to agree to this?"

"**The Nadder-to-be is correct. From where I stand, I do not see what you could offer me. The affliction left by the Corrupt One is many things, but to our Kind it should be seen as a blessing. It offers the Herd a chance to rise above their lot; who am I do deny them that? They have a chance to finally prove their worth, to be elevated as Kindred."**

To that, I argued, "Who are you to decide who should be what?Some of us like _our own Kin!_" What i had just said was probably a blasphemy to the King. I had just called humans, whom he regarded as animals befitting of the title of 'Kin'. "We're not beasts! Let _us_ decide who _we want to be_!"

I felt Astrid grab onto my saddle, ready to take off at a moment's notice. She and I both knew we were mere… insects compared to the King. But I didn't feel like running. The King's gaze felt like it could reduce me to ashes, even when I was coated in fire proof scales. I didn't waver.

The King did not crush us. He seemed to consider my words, as if thinking them over carefully. **"Such a pity, you could have made a fine Flight Commander. Few are so brave as you."**

"I'm not brave," I told the King. "I'm scared out of my mind."

The King laughed again, nearly sending a stalactite crashing down near me. **"Very well, child, but in exchange I demand two things from you." **

My heart pounded. It looked like my insanity was about to pay off. If the King could give me the knowledge to create what I wanted to make, I needed to do everything in my power to make sure that bargain was completed. I couldn't let Mom or all of Berk down. "Tell me."

"**Before I tell you the second request, I require an answer to this question." **said the King. **"With what you request from me, in theory what you ask should also apply to your boon; you could return to the form you covet so. So, I ask this question, would you remain Kin or Herd?" **

The answer was something I've been thinking hard about for a while. So, I gave the King the my honest reply. "I don't know, I can't make that choice." The King frowned, not satisfied with my answer, so I had explain it. "Sometimes, I like the fact that I can fly around or that my body was large enough to let me carry others; I like being stronger than I used to be. Other times, I wish I had my hands again. I want to work earth and fire into metal. I want to create things." It would also mean, I might actually have a chance at Astrid, but I doubted the King would understand such a thing.

"**But which path would you choose then?" **

"If it came down to it… I wouldn't choose." I said. "And I don't have to." Yes, I knew it was a copout, but really big life changing decisions like what body I wanted to have to rest of my life were not easy decisions. Especially since I keep going back and forth on the whole being a Night Fury thing, sometimes multiple times in the same hour.

The King's nostrils flared, smoke spewing forth. **"I suppose that is fair… considering what you intend to create." **

Astrid gave me a look that told me she wondered what I had been planning. It should have been clear to her, but I guess she never considered the possibility. "I'll tell you about it later," I said to her. "What's the second thing you need from me?" I asked the King.

"**The second part is merely a requirement to be able to impart the knowledge you seek. One cannot simply these secrets without preparation and understanding. I will need you to visit me every day until you fully comprehend it."**

I nodded; accepting the terms. In order to learn, I knew the King would probably need to get inside my mind again. I hoped that in the process, the King would not try to overwrite my memories… I mean, he had Mom's permission last time. I don't know if Mom took back that permission or if it expired, but a part of me still worried. "I'll come by every noon"

Astrid clearly didn't approve of my decision. "I'll have to come just to make sure you don't get yourself in trouble again." I gave the shield maiden in training wry smile, glad that she still had my back.

"One last thing," I said to the King. "What will it cost me to know where my Mom is?"

"**Nothing," **said the King. His tone was flat and neutral, like he was trying to suppress something, an emotion, and doing a really good job at it. **"It should be the prerogative of children to know of their own mothers… Regardless, Dead Wings has been assigned elsewhere today. If you desire, I shall inform her to stay until you come visit me in the next morning." **

I nodded. "Thank you," I said for the first time bowing, if only out of gratefulness, then out of formality. For all of his dislike of humans, I couldn't help but feel like the King was honestly a good man... dragon... maybe god or demigod might be the best way to say what he was. He was fair, almost reasonable to his own Kind... our Kin.

"**May the ocean protect you," **said the King. And then Astrid and I left him.

Anticipation bubbled in every fiber of my being. Now everything was in place for me set everything straight. Mom, Dad, Toothless, we'll be a complete family for the first time in… ever.

Tomorrow was the start of everything.

* * *

Tonight was the start of everything.

Anticipation bubbled in every fiber of my being. Now everything was in place to set everything straight. I would settle my debt with Stormfly and make Alvin pay for the things he did to my family, my village… and my old teacher.

I could see our destination, maybe several… knots away, right? Or maybe it was a dozen knots, a hundred? Either way, it didn't matter; in the distance, I could see lights of campfires giving away that there were people active and about. Most people probably would have thought it was just a normal Viking settlement, but the dark silhouettes of patrolling dragons overhead proved otherwise. And as far as I knew, only Berk or the Outcasts had dragons acting as guards. And since I was pretty sure I was of Berk, that left me with only one possible conclusion.

On board the Bog Burglar ship, there was nothing but darkness; we weren't allowed to use even the dimmest of torch lights, for fear of betraying our position to the Outcasts; Camicazi's orders.

Still, it wasn't too bad. The moon was out, giving just enough light for me to prepare. I readied my crossbow, making sure that all of the parts and pieces were in working order. I checked the small pouch of bolts strapped onto my belt, making sure I had enough; a each bolt was a relatively thick, heavy piece of wood with a barbed steel tip that could punch through mail with relative ease. Hopefully, I wouldn't need to use it too much.

Camicazi stood at the forward… starboard most section of the ship, looking ahead with a grimmace. It wasn't hard to figure out that she was nervous, maybe worried about how badly we could botch the upcoming heist. I mean, how many of us actually spent time practicing sneak around? I'm pretty sure that the only person who was looking forward to this little excursion with any sort of confidence was Stormfly.

Speaking of which, the Nadder in disguise approached Camicazi, a wicked gleam of enthusiasm on her face. "I can't wait much longer!" she exclaimed. "Is everything ready?"

"Hm, I suppose I am." Camicazi said, half-weary and half-cherry. She was definitely trying to keep her spirits up.

"So… what's our plan?" I asked. Stormfly narrowed her eyes, almost glaring at me, but then at Camicazi. I guess, maybe once in a blue moon, even I would have a good point.

"Oh that's easy!" Camicazi said, with more forced yet at the same time something more geniune was underneath that. "We get in, get out, and rip off Alvin!"

"That's… oddly simple," I heard Fishlegs mutter from somewhere behind me.

"And very nondescript," added Meatlug.

"It's always a good idea to be… flexible when coming up with a plan," said Camicazi, her smile somewhere between forced and real. "Anyways, fellas, tonight marks the start of the big heist. None of us are going home until we get what we came for!"

Stormfly's smile looked terrifying enough to make me look away… yet no matter what, I couldn't break my gaze away from her teeth. Was I afraid of them? "Good," said the red haired girl.

"Alright, ladies," the Bog Burglar captain said to her crew. "You know the drill!"

Whatever the 'drill' was the women on board understood exactly what they were going to do. We approached the island not going directly into the Outcast camp, mostly because the hastily constructed area they had for a harbor was frozen over. Instead, we veered right to hide behind a large set of pillars that were just barely touching the iced over waters.

The first and simplest leg of our so called 'heist' was to walk on the frozen over sea water of the harbor. It was pretty much self explanatory. The only major problem we had was that the ice was a little thinner than it was back home, probably because everything was slightly warmer than it was further North. Fishlegs and Meatlug had a few close calls, almost falling through the thin sheets of frost. They didn't but an adult probably would have ended up falling into the icy water just underneath the surface.

The next part though was when actual sneaking skills started being needed. As we approached the frozen harbor, we hid behind a large stack of crates to avoid notice from a pair of Outcast guards standing watch outside a few buildings of some sort. "Alright, that's the Harbormaster's quarters. So that looks like a good spot for it..." Camicazi muttered, clearly to only herself.

"Camicazi…" I whispered to her, snapping her out of her trance.

"Oh, Toothless." said the Bog Burglar, still not taking her eyes away from the pair of guards outside to build.

"Is there something important we should know?"

"Oh, just thinking up escape plans," said the Bog Burglar. "Always a smart idea for that."

I nodded, understanding how vital it sounded to have a plan for that. Still Camicazi has been a little… off lately. I would have thought that maybe the inherent danger of our burglary attempt would have probably excited her a little more, enough to make her sound like her old self, but right now she was just so cautious. Something was bothering her. Or maybe she realizes the consequences of failure.

"Anyways," Camicazi drew the group's attention to her and then whispered another part of her plan, "Stormfly, you're in the front. If anyone gets in our way, you know what to do…"

The Nadder clearly liked the sound of that. "With pleasure."

"Fishlegs, Meatlug, you're right behind her. If she needs extra muscle, you'll give it to her."

Both of the larger teeneagers moved where Camicazi told them. Well, technically, Meatlug wasn't a teenager, but she certainly was around our age.

"And then lastly, Toothless, you're right behind them. That crossbow of yours should work wonders if we ever need it."

"I never miss," I said, a very strong hint of pride in my tone.

Stormfly gave me a wary look, but that's all I got from her. She can't deny the fact that I always scored better than her on blasting day…

"But what about you?" I asked Camicazi.

"Well, I of course would watch the rear flank. Best someone who knew what she was doing to watch from behind, most people don't watch their own backs of course," said the Bog Burglar. She wasn't being literal, but she was right. Even dragons who had weapons on their tails knew their backsides were vulnerable. Most dragons don't have the ability to have full vision of everything around them. Night Furies had next best thing, the ability to 'see' rough shapes in an area by echolocation, and even then it had its limits.

"Alright, so where do we go next?" I asked the Bog Burglar.

Camicazi took a look over the boxes, just barely concealed from the guards nearby. I think she was getting a closer veiw of some makeshift buildings and cobbled together tents atop a nearby cliff face. "From what I know, there should be a tunnel entrance somewhere over there leading straight into Alvin's home base."

"Again?" I questioned. The first time we met Alvin, he used a set of labyrinthine underground tunnels for _everything_. Prisons, special blacksmithing and magic working facilities, training rooms, barracks, and armories. Really, I can respect living in a cave; I did it for pretty much my whole life, but that man… creature… whatever, really took things too far.

Camicazi shrugged. "Sometimes, it's easier to just find a cave and start digging it out rather than building a hundred houses."

"Even easier if you don't do the digging yourself," said Fishlegs, listing off some fact from that arcane study he called 'geology'. "Water erosion either from ice or running water can shape even the toughest stone."

"Though it takes many years for progress of any sort to occur. Rainwater seeping in through stone while very effective at wearing down is also very infrequent," added Meatlug, apparently knowing this stuff too. I guess it was a bard's job to know these sorts of things. "Still, there are many cave systems all over, many have been forming for untold eons."

"It's even slower if we're talking ice erosion. Constant thawing, seeping, and refreezing could take many years for each phase the farther North you go," Fishlegs said.

For once Stormfly and I both agreed on something, neither of us cared enough about caves to dwell on them for two long. Camicazi didn't stop them though, either because it kept those two from running away in terror or revealing our location because of a terrified shout.

With a only a word, we moved to the next area, an area full of hastily assembled shacks and patchwork tents and that was being generous. The Outcast assembled this place in the span of maybe too weeks, yet it looked so much older. Everything had an almost scavenged feel, as if the Outcast used nothing but discarded scraps of metal and moldy old drift buildings looked like they could barely protect against the elements and I did not want to imagine sleeping inside any of them.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a small crowd of Outcast warriors, a little thinner than normal huddling together by the fire. They were all giving minor chit chat, begging that things could have been different or even considering getting covered in scale might not be all that much of a big deal if it meant not worrying about frostbite. I probably should have felt sorry for them, but they were the enemy; they chose this path.

As we neared our destination, Camicazi had guided us more directly.

"Better hide over here!" she said, letting us slip directly behind a large man who probably could have taken on all five of us.

Overall, we did better than I thought we would. No one caught us as we made our way to the entrance to a large cave. Strangely, no one guarded the entrance, but I figure Alvin might have decided it might have been unnecessary due to all of the patrols going around camp. Probably never imagined a small team like ours would get through so easily.

"That's nineteen groups, " Fishlegs stated.

"Fourteen close calls and five who never realized we were even there," Meatlug clarified.

I took in a deep breath, as if I held my breath for a whole hour. I was starting to feel exhausted from all of my anxiety. I kept constantly fearing that the loud noises from a single fight was all it took to put us all in chains… or worse, on a trophy rack. What if Alvin decided to turn us into dragons just because our heads would be easier to taxidermy that way?

Camicazi gave a big grin to the two larger teenagers. "My that awfully seems a little low. Alvin won't know what hits him when we make our move."

Stormfly was ready to draw her sword at a moment's notice ready to strike. "I wouldn't object to hitting him."

"I know you won't," replied Camicazi. She then started rummaging through her pockets. "Give me a moment, I'll just need to get that map I got with me…."

"You have a map?" I asked, feeling a little more relieved now that I wasn't constantly aiming down my crossbow's sigh for the best results.

"Sure, I do!" Camicazi bellowed, holding her map in hand. "Just a little something I got from our reliable source." Whoever was supplying Camicazi with all the information we needed apparently did a very good job at it; we had exactly what we needed already. "Now, onward!"

We all gave each other a look and entered the cave. It was oddly warm inside for some reason, as if it was suddenly summer again. I didn't know how Alvin managed that, but at the same time, I was glad to be out of the cold, at least for a little while.

Unlike the twisted and intentionally made confusing passages of Outcast Island, the cave system seemed a little more straight forward. For one, there were far less tunnels, probably because Alvin lacked the time to have people dig up extra dead ends or the cave came with less stray passageways. There were also signs indicating the way out and any important sections like the dining area or any slave pits.

One of the sections Camicazi took us through was labeled on the map as 'Sleeping quarters'. The area was huge; a large cavern set aside entirely for Outcast warriors. Unlike their counterparts above, they weren't complaining at all about their living conditions; in fact, I doubt they could do anything but snore loudly. They were clearly content from the looks of their faces.

For a moment, I found it strange Alvin had soldiers sleeping on the outside, the cavern these warriors were in wasn't full in the least. Sure, there were lots of men and some women sleeping all over on the floor, but there was still plenty of room. I didn't know if Alvin could fit his entire force down in that underground section, but there could have been a whole lot more and yet there wasn't!

Turning my back for just a moment, I saw Camicazi grimace as if she was disturbed by the sight of it all.

"Something wrong?" I asked her.

She seemed to think about that for a moment as if considering her reply. "Oh, just the thought of all these warriors getting up to fight us all…"

"No thanks," I muttered. But it made sense. Even if I was a Night Fury a dozen times better than I used to be or some sort of heroic Viking nobleman, I doubted I would last long against a force like that. How many of them were there in that huge cavern? A hundred? A thousand?

As soon as we left the sleeping quarts, I put the place out of my mind. It probably wasn't important enough for me to consider it, not as long as none of the Outcasts didn't know we were here.

We then passed by an area called the 'dragon holding pens' .I'll admit, I didn't think much of the other two areas the Outcasts gathered to sleep at when I first saw them. That all changed the moment I saw where they put their dragons as a sudden realization hit me like was being sent by a catapult; the other areas did not allow dragons.

To our right was a passageway that led to a section of the tunnel complex that catered specifically to dragons according to the map. We could see a small glimpse from where we stood and what saw unnerved us greatly, most especially Stormfly.

We all had our gazes locked a rows of iron barred prison cell, each filled to the brim with dragons, almost to the point of bursting. Most of them I figure might not have been born that way, most likely changed by whatever power Alvin dabbled in, the very thing we were here to steal. None of the dragons saw us or if they did, they didn't care. Most of them had these blank, partially empty looks in their eyes that were somewhere between half scowl and half despair.

"How can anyone be so cruel? Aren't these false Kin in Alvin's employ?" Stormfly questioned, as if the whole scene was just outside of her frame of mind. She was clearly the most disturbed out of all of us.

"No, no they're not," said Camicazi, all of her cheer and enthusiasm seemingly drained from her body. It was the most disturbing thing I had ever seen.

Whatever that meant, I was sure I didn't want to know. So, I changed the subject just a little to something that seemed slightly more hopeful at the time. "Alvin has got a thing for imprisoning others, human or dragon. Mostly to sell them into slavery or to sell them for a ransom. My brother and I, he wanted to extort Father. I guess that might apply to the people he turns into dragons." Gee, the devaluement of people into nothing more than property, what a warm and safe thought?

That seemed to give Stormfly a little something to think about. "You beat him then? You earned your freedom." Stormfly question

"My brother did..." I said. "I just ran out of ammunition."

"Which is why you tried hitting him with rocks when everything else failed," cheered Camicazi, as if the thought somehow made her her cheery, perky self.

Stormfly gave me a look of disbelief, like she couldn't imagine that I could last long enough fighting Alvin barely armed as I was at the time. "I don't believe that…" she muttered aloud.

"Good," I told her. "I don't either…" my reply seemed to give Stormfly a slight chuckle, letting me see those nice teeth she had.

"Say guys?" we all turned to look a Fishlegs, hiding off in some nearby corner, trying to stay close to a nearby torch. "It's kinda dark here… right?

Stormfly and Camicazi gave each other a look as if that was all that was needed for them to have a detailed conversaton. "Well, we're not far from our destination," said the Bog Burglar.

We then left the dragon holding pen, but my mind would not let go of the place Looking back, I noticed there was a distinct lack of dragons in the other areas the Outcasts were in. There was just something about that arrangement that bothered me; but I didn't know what.

As we got closer to wherever it was that we needed to go, I could hear Camicazi muttering to herself again, as if unsure and anxious. "Am I ready to do this? Can I go on?" I heard her say a few times.

I didn't blame her, I was thinking the same thing too. Everything was fine now, but that wouldn't mean that things wouldn't be changing. What if I messed up and costed everyone their lives? I practically ruined Stormfly's once already, could I do that a second time?

She led us to a cast iron door. "We're here," she said.

Everyone got anxious, now was the time for our heist to be put into motion.

"Meatlug, Fishlegs, flank Stormfly as she enters," said the Bog Burglar Heir as she dug through her pockets. "We'll be watching the entrance.

She pulled out a key and gentle opened the door, letting the other three in.

The room was completely dark all except for an object in the center of the room. Alvin's spear glow faintly red, just enough for us to see it in the complete absence of light. Truth be told wasn't so much a spear as much as it was a gnarled piece of metal slapped onto an old withered tree branch. And now all we had to do was approach it and take it and we'd be on our way home, no fighting whatsoever.

Stormfly was the closest to the cursed weapon, just within arms reach of it. She was about to reach out and grab it, but at the last moment, some unseen force shoved her away from the spear. Piercing red eyes appeared next to the cursed object and I suddenly knew things were about to get a whole lot worse.

Stormfly landed on her feet and quickly drew her sword, ready to fight, but it was no use. The blade was thrown out of her hands almost as quickly as she took. Fishlegs and Meatlug tried charging at the attack, but they were lifted up by their necks and thrown like rag dolls,

My heart froze as my worst fears were confirmed by a shout, "Did you really think you'd get the drop ol' Alvin did'ja!?"

I could barely make out Alvin's silhouette in the darkness, but it was still mostly human. How long it remained mostly was up to debate, but that didn't matter. I raised my crossbow takinging aim to fell the monster that threated my friends.

… Only for my weapon to be thrown out of my hands and into the dark room I was trying to aim at. Then the door was slammed shut, making me lose sight of my friends facing down a terrifying monster. I tried to twist open the door knob, only for it not to turn; it was locked, maybe automatically. I wanted to pound at the door, to pry it open with my bare hands but I was simply too stunned by what had happened to do anything but gawk. "Why did you do that Camicazi?" I screamed at her. She gave me a look that she knew of her own guilt, but said nothing.

In a single motion, the Bog Burglar Heir disarmed me and pulled the cast iron door shut, effectively damning my friends to face Alvin until they… I didn't want to think about it. The thought that Stormfly would be torn to bits horrified me more than anything else. Working up the resolve and forcing Camicazi's actions out of my mind, I tried with what little strength I had in a desperate attempt to free my friends. I could barely hear the sounds of what must have been a chaotic frenzy just on the other side.

The Bog Burglar then pushed me away from the door, with a swift kick to my side. I feel to the ground, but I quickly picked myself up.

"Let me through you!" I screamed. "We have to save them!" Why was she doing this anyways? Did Alvin bribe her or anything?

"I'm sorry, Toothless," she said in a tone that I could tell had some very deep regret. "I like you, you're pretty good, for a boy that is… which makes this so much harder."

The last thing I saw was a small fist coming at my eyes.

* * *

**Major point to whoever figures out who Kings in the Desert and Sons of the Wolf are. They're a big hint at the King's origins, but not in the way you'd think. **

**I wonder if the clues I left behind here will be enough for you to figure things out.**

**Also, yeah, to anyone who guessed what Camicazi was going to do this chapter, major points, but understand had to be secretive about it. Now as to _why _she did it, well, you'll have to read to find out.**

******This chapter was delayed by one day because during production, I realized it was going to be longer than usual. This chapter is about 10k words long, mostly because I had just so much information to unload.. Also, this puts us past the 100k words mark, so, we have that acheivement.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.**

**Howdy. This chapter came in a day earlier than normal, probably to make up for the day late of last chapter. Then again, last chapter was superlong, whereas this one is average.**

**I guess it doesn't matter so much if you guys like to read this story.**

**Please enjoy and leave a comment. See you next week.**

* * *

I wonder if Hiccup had mornings where he just woke up feeling like that Thor guy's hammer was being slammed into his skull. My skull felt like it was split open from… whatever it was happened last night. I know I got knocked out...somehow, but I can't seem to remember much more beyond that.

Still, I guess it wasn't as bad as some mornings I had; one time when I was young, I had a nasty cold that lasted for a week. More recently, there was the time I woke up in the middle of the Meatheads trying to 'heal' me and the first time I took a sip of mead. It felt like no matter what I did, I always inevitably ended up with mornings that were either painful, confusing, or if I am really _lucky_, both.

Maybe this was my curse. Whereas my brother tends to knock overshelves or break other people's bones, I ended up with the fate of having terrible mornings… yeah, my brother is _definitely _the favored sibling if that's all he had to go through.

I groaned and sat up. I wanted to go back to sleep, to forget about the world until my head stopped feeling like someone was trying to practice for drum concert. Besides, if I didn't, I knew Father or my brother would get me out of bed. But yet, something was wrong, where was my blanket and why did my bed feel so… rough?

I fluttered my eyes open, they stung almost worse than my head. Just what did I put them through to get them hurt this bad? I was able to open them, my vision wobbly but I could still tell I was not home any more.

Blinking, my vision slowly returned with my every breath. I could tell I was in some sort of room, one that was probably underground or incorporated natural stone into the building itself. It wasn't very big, but it was enough for me to stretch my legs if I really tried. Subconsciously, I had the feeling it was morning or maybe in the afternoon and yet, I saw no sunlight. The area I was in was dim, barely illuminated by torches on a wall behind some bars coming from the ground up to the ceiling. Touching one, I could tell it was made of icy cold iron. Vaguely, I had the distinct idea that I was in a cage of some sort. Weird, last time I had been in one, I was back in...

With that realization of what exactly happened last night sunk in; the so called heist we were supposed to pull off, the betrayal of my friends by Camicazi, Alvin ambushing my friends, Stormfly facing him with nothing but a sword.

In a jolt, my weariness faded, only to be replaced by a sudden distress. I quickly searched around the room. Three bodies laid down beside me… my friends, Fishlegs, Meatlug, Stormfly.

I briefly held my breath, thinking they had died last night. thankfully, I was wrong, they were still breathing, if a little painfully slow.

Each bore injuries from last night's fight. Meatlug and Fishlegs were the the best off. Their faces and arms were marked with assorted bruises, but I didn't think. No, I had the distinct impression they didn't last too long; they might have been taken out fairly quickly, hinted at by the large bumps nearby their temples. Overall, their injuries didn't seem overly major or obviously life threatening, but they were still out cold. I wish they weren't; I really wanted their help.

What I saw scared me and rattled me more than any worry about darkness I had. Stormfly was not looking good, and I didn't mean her choice of wardrobe. She was in human form, but dressed moldy cloth rags while Fishlegs, Meatlug, and I were still dressed in whatever we left Berk in. Other, newer pieces of linen covered her body underneath those rotted garments, stained red from seeping blood. Her right arm probably bore the worst of her injuries, it being buried completely in a massive bundle of white cloth.

Worst of all, I could see her neck, since she was missing her silk scarf. There were little scratches, marks of abrasion around her neck, like the rope her amulet had turned on its owner. Vague, but terrifying images flashed into my mind. Stormfly… tried to assume her true form, thinking it would give her the edge. She never had the chance to slip the amulet off, Alvin never gave it to her. Instead, he toyed with her, using the string that held the pendant in place. I had a vague idea I knew what it was, but I didn't want to think about it.

And then, I heard a voice, one that was half growl, half snarl and all mocking. "Ya know, for something so small and fragile she's got alot of Spunk...Still, pity about the neck. Maybe I shoulda gutted her in the first place," said a monster coming into view. Since I had last seen him, his skull had elongated, turning more snout-like. His hair and a beard were greatly diminished, most likely being consumed by the masses of scaly carapace that armor his body from head to toe. Speaking of his toes, his feet changed into something like an eagle's talons, ready to grab an enemy at a moment's notice. His tail was part bladed flail, his wings were almost as large as his arms. His claws and teeth gleamed bright as his eyes, making it clear he could kill me a dozen different ways if he wanted to. Alvin's body only vaguely resembled a man's now and he was only going to get less human still.

For a moment, I almost looked at him with fear. Then, I looked at Stormfly and then I realized I was way past that point of fear. I was angry, upset. "What do you want?" I spat out.

"Oh nothing," said the man who was barely a man anymore. It was a wonder how he could still speak Norse while Astrid could only talk to dragons, but I didn't care about that. "Just looking at all the lovely little gifts me newest lieutenant gave me for me birthday, And I have to say she got quite tha taste in gifts." I doubted it really was Alvin's birthday...

"Camicazi," I said, almost in a trance. I saw the Bog Burglar hiding just behind the monster's wings. She didn't look at me, in fact, she just seemed to stare at Stormfly with a look of guilt. I… had no idea what to think. I still couldn't get over the fact that she of all people would betray us like she did. Was she forced? Did she sell us out?

"Right," said Alvin. "Ye Heirs have always been trouble, now I got some of tha' trouble working for me. Shame though, I was promised Stoicks boy...not his runt. But I'll guess you'll do."

I bit back tears that were threatening to well up behind my eyes, sudden realization dawning on me. Camicazi wanted Hiccup on this heist to give him to Alvin. "Camicazi, why did you do this!?" I begged of the Bog Burglar Heir, hoping somehow, she could explain. I was hoping she'd turn around and stab Alvin in the head so that we'd be on our way home by supper. "Why betray us? Why help Alvin?"

Instead, of answering, the the Bog Burglar backed away from the cage, her expression blank as she made her way down the hall. Instead, her silence spoke for her; she was turning her back on us, on me. I wanted to break down, to become nothing but a ball of mush. Why now, after all we did with her? After all the life and death situations she claimed to enjoy? Did I even know Camicazi at all?

Alvin laughed wickedly, as if amused by the whole sight. "Does it really matter, boy?"

Looking at Alvin, I felt my blood boil, as if all sadness and grief were being consumed to fuel a burning anger. I brought myself as close to the iron bars as I could. I wish I was strong enough to bend iron, or had the fire to melt it. "Are you done toying with us?" I said.

Alvin gave a vicious hateful smirk. he moment, he looked at Stormfly, I felt my heart sink, my anger was stifled with that single action."You know, she was tough fighter. Even when I broke her sword, she still came at me with her first… so I broke her arm."

My throat became hard and I glanced to look at Stormfly's overly bandaged right arm. A part of me wondered if she could ever move it again… Hopefully, she could.

"I was thinking she'd make a fine warrior in Valhalla. She was so insistent on fighting to the death; I was almost willing to oblige her." "She just wouldn't quit, even when she had nothing else; no allies, no weapons, no fancy tries. I even stopped her from using that trick that my lieutenant told me about, tha' one that turn herself into a dragon!" Alvin bragged. "But I eventually wore her down, I just had to give her a few nasty wounds here and there. You should see have seen how much a little girl can bleed... there was blood everywhere when I was finally done with her."

My blood turned ice cold. The way Alvin talked about how he beat Stormfly was unsettling. the way he told it, it sounded like he should have easily snuffed her life out… yet he didn't, like letting her live was just another instance of being cruel. "What do you what?" I managed to say, I doubted I was anything resembling commanding.

Alvin's grin made me wish I was a Terrible Terror or a rat, that way I could run and hide. "I could have easily killed her, along with the rest of yer friends. If I wanted to I could have ended the fight before it even started," he said, confirming my worst fears. "My Lieutenant claims ya are smart one, think ya can guess why I'm keepin' them alive?"

I gulped, my throat hard; I already knew the answer and I hated it. "Because of me…" I said.

Alvin's sharp teeth gleamed evilly. "You're not your brother. If you were I would have ripped of your arm and gorged your eyes out by now. But according to my lieutenant you can do tha same tricks he can..."

"To make more people into dragons?" I guess

He laughed and held up his twisted spear, as if amused by my question. "A little," he said chillingly. "But its not the main reason I'm keeping you alive, I assure you I have something far more interesting."

Whatever he meant by that, I didn't want to know. I looked away from the monster before me. I felt weak for doing that, but I could not longer look at him without fear of shriveling in terror.

Thankfully, Alvin seemed just about done with me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him step away, as if ready to crush something… or someone underfoot. "And don't even think of trying to pull of the same tricks your Brother used last time, because they an't going ta' work! Alvin learns from his mistakes... can you? What am I saying? It's not like ya can pull them off anyway!" He said with pride.

And then the monster stepped out of sight, but not out of mind.

I slammed by back into the nearby wall, maybe a little too hard. I felt like giving up. Just how was I supposed to escape now? I didn't have Camicazi to break open the locks or steal keys. And I imagine that guards will probably be checking in more often than last time, enough that I doubted anything we did would go unpunished. The cage we were in was also quite small, enough that if Meatlug and Stormfly were to change into their true forms, it would crush the rest of us; not that being larger or breathing fire would accomplish anything. We were stuck here.

I don't know how long I sat in the dim torchlight. Time seemed to be irrelevant as I kept watch over my fallen friends. None of them stirred, none of them awoke. All I had for company were my own thoughts. Mostly, I kept kept looking at a far wall… or Stormfly.

Looking at Stormfly was the most painful feeling in the world, like a part of me was dying right in front of me. A few months ago, I probably would have wished this fate on her. She was always the one who kept telling me how I only got into the Knighthood because of who I was born to, rather than what I did. I hated her for that and I always wished she would just go away or that Mother would scare her off. That never happened.

Now, I just wished she would be okay. That just made helping Alvin hurt all the the more. She was only alive now because she was a bartering token. She was only alive now because she was a valuable bartering token and I knew if I wanted her to survive, to recover, I would have to aid Alvin. A part of me wished it was a few months ago, when I wouldn't have cared in the least.

And then, I saw Stormfly stir, her body moving with painful groan. She was waking.

My heart leapt and I immediately jumped right next to her, looking at her from above. "Stormfly!" I cried.

Her eyes were fluttering open, trying to bring the world back into focus. Her right arm wasn't moving, it being bound under thick layers of bandages, but her left was being raised in the air. I could tell she was looking at her own palm and then at me.

I grinned, feeling hopeful for the first time all morning. Stormfly was going to awaken.

And then I felt a world of pain. I fell back, landing on my rear with my hand over my right cheek. Stormfly... slapped me.

Before I could ask her why, she already answered me in a pained groaning voice. "Wipe that smirk off your face!" she barked out.

I tried to, I really did; but no matter how much I tried, my smile kept bleeding through. Just seeing the red head sitting up easily made up for all of the dread Alvin gave me and then some.

The Nadder-in-disguise held her temples and shook her head. She was still dizzy apparently and her face was contorted into a pained expression. "What happened?" she groaned.

My smile faltered, my joy temporarily replaced by painful understanding. I told Stormfly what had happened last night, my expression more serious. For the first time in my life, I got the feeling she was actually paying attention for me.

The redhead's pained expression turned hateful, angered. "When I get them, I'll… I'll…" she stammered, probably still thinking how to best have her revenge. She brought up rather… creative suggestions, most of them involving a trebuchet or fire, sometimes both.

A part of me wanted to join her, encourage her of how to best humiliate Camicazi and slay Alvin, but I still couldn't get over it. Why had Camicazi turned on us? Did Alvin offer something she wanted? I mean, I know she wanted to be a dragon and all, but I don't think anyone thought she was really being serious. Besides, Hiccup and I both knew how to turn her into one if she really wanted it. What could she be after? Was it really worth betraying all of us?

I turned back to Stormfly. She was still thinking of fancy methods of killing Alvin, this time, with a mix of swordplay and volleys of spikes. At the very least, she was okay, even with how badly she was hurt.

She then stopped her ranting, turning her gaze back over to me. I jumped back in surprise when I noticed her. "Why do you keep looking at me like that!?" she barked.

"Uh, nothing!" I said. If I told her I was glad she was alright, I had the feeling I knew she would just laugh at me.

Stormfly's expression darkened, dissatisfied with my answer, but she never said anything about it. Instead she started unraveling her bandages.

I went over to her, putting my hands between hers. "Hey, careful!" I said to her.

Sht snarled and gave me a glare. "I'm getting this ridiculous thing off!" she barked. It is amazing how much she actually sounds like her actual self.

"Don't!" I pleaded. "You're hurt! Let it stay on."

"Why should I?" she snarled. "And why do you care?"

We sat there for a silent moment, Stormfly's furious brow looking into my gazeless eyes. I knew exactly why. "Because… it's my fault," I told her. Her expression didn't change, but I got the feeling that she wanted me to continue. "You're only here because of me, my mistakes. You never would have got wrapped up with Trader Al or any of this human business if I wasn't around. You'd never have gotten imprisoned by Berk or Alvin. Hey, you'd probably be off getting your first mate and a real name if I wasn't around…"

Stormfly gave me a … perplexed look, as if she wasn't sure what to think. I don't see how that could have been, especially since ever since I had known her, she had always blame me for alot of things. She was right, if I wasn't around, she'd have been One Eye's favorite student and she'd have been infinitely more deserving of it. The dragon in human form leaned back, dropping her arms to the side, no longer concerned with undoing his bandages. If the silence I took was a few moments, then waiting for Stormfly's reply took a thousand years. Eventually, she groaned, asking, "So… I could die like the rest of the Flight?"

I shook my head vigorously. "No! I mean, of course not! You don't deserve that!"

Stormfly looked at her arm again, but didn't do anything but examine her bandages. "...I think I do…"

"No you don't!" I denied. "Why would you?" The thought that Stormfly might… No, that was unthinkable.

"Because…" she moaned, painfully. Her eyes scanned everyone in the room, Fishlegs, Meatlug, even me. "I did this… I led us to our deaths… I am to blame, not you."

In a time that seemed so far away, I would have patted myself on the back and celebrated upon hearing her say that. I didn't. "Stormfly," I said, approaching her. I gently held onto her right arm, supporting its weight. "You don't deserve to be here. None of us do." Except, maybe me.

She didn't call me a weakling. She didn't even move her arm, taking it away. Instead, she just looked into my eyes. "Toothless," she said glumly. "I owe you an apology."

I blinked, almost wondering if I was in one of those weird dreams my brother or I had. "For… what?" I stammered before recovering enough of myself to actually speak coherently. "It's not your fault… any of this happened." No, this was Camicazi's doing; if anyone had a confession to make, it was her.

"No, not that" she groaned.

I blinked, even more confusion hit me. "For what then?"

"For everything else," she said. "I was wrong about you; you're not that bad…" Stormfly gave a little chuckle. "For a human."

If I had to imagine Stormfly's words coming at me like a physical object, then I'd have to imagine an entire house being thrown at me. I remember Camicazi's fist slamming into me right between the eyes knocking me out for maybe a day. Stormfly's words alone should have sent me into next year.

All I could do was look at the red hair girl; she didn't seem as depressed or in pain now. No, instead she was laughing, smiling. I could only imagine how goofy I looked if it was able to heal broken bone.

I guess it was worth it though; Stormfly was alright.

* * *

The only things I could feel were fear and cold. I had no sight, no sound, not even the sense of where I was. I knew I was stuck in something, but I couldn't tell where or what exactly. Still, I almost felt like I was one place, yet my body was not with me. I knew that couldn't be true, I could feel the dread that gathered in the pits of my heart and burning cold that surrounded me. Even worse than that, I could feel my breaths getting heavier as I slowly ran out of air. Wherever I was, I was beginning to suffocate. Panicked immediately, fearing my life ending if I didn't take steps to save it. I imagined trying to move every part of my body in a random direction, just so I could have a fighting chance.

I wanted to get out, to shout, to break my way from whatever icy prison held me. **"Do not do so, child," **a voice from the middle of no where told me. **"You must endure this to the bitter end."**

But I didn't listen, I was too afraid to die. One moment later, I could feel my forelegs, no, arms again. I imagined myself doing a digging motion and tried to force whatever had trapped me away.

My body started to feel colder, but I did not relent. With a few more handfuls, I eventually broke through to surface. My eyes and vision returned abruptly, the light of my escape giving me hope. Forcing myself through, I found myself on a mountainside covered entirely in snow.

A wave of relaxation hit my senses, I was alive, I was not buried under an avalanche after all.

Then the scene shifted. Light became replaced by darkness, soft snow was traded for hardstone; I traded the sight of one mountainside for another, this time with six eyes. The King looked at me, I knew he was upset at me. **"Eldest of Dead Wings, do I need to inform you what you did, wrong, **_**again?"**_

"Sorry!"I gave him a sheepish little grin, knowing that my performance might not have been the best. I mean, really, I just had get myself to suffocate to death while trapped under a dozen feet of snow in an illusion. Simple, right? I mean, I'm sure even the twins would have known what to do there. Yet, even after a dozen or so tries, I still couldn't manage to keep myself still or even remember the whole point of the exercise in the vision.

A gout of flame escaped the King's nostrils; he wasn't pleased. "**Know that both of us have little time available to us; we have deadlines to meet." **

"I know, I know," I managed to say. It was strangely easier to talk to the King after spending a few hours sitting in front of him while he went inside my mind. I guess once I got it in my head that he was always going to be there, always going to be a massive mountain, it didn't seem to matter as much. In fact, I think I was scared more for the King's verbal reprimands more than his ability to crush me to dust. "May we try again?"

I felt a jab at my side. I saw Astrid giving me a look of annoyance. "I think you've had enough having trying to die in your own imagination," she told me in a matter-of-factly tone of voice.

"I guess we can take a break." I gave her a sheepish smile. Now that I thought about it, I was starting to feel exhausted. I never knew that _thinking _of all things could be so tiring.

"**Then, we will have to continue tomorrow, son of Dead Wings. Your mind is both too weary and too resistant; I cannot assist you in your current state of mind." **said the King, already deciding our session today cut short.

"Right, I guess three hours is enough time spent under a glacier." And yet it was still not enough time to learn anything. I know I asked for his help and all, but I didn't understand why I had to experience being buried alive in an avalanche. I spent hours doing the same thing, over and over again, and I still didn't understand the point of it all, what I had to learn from that experience. At this rate, I didn't know if I could make what I want by Snoggletog.

Astrid nodded, contentedly. "Great, I'm ready to head back home if you are," she told me. "We'll pick up Snotlout and Hookfang and then we'll be on our way."

"Not just yet Astrid," I said before turning back to the King. "Has my Mom come in yet?"

"**Yes, child, your Mother waits secluded in her den, waiting for you. You know the way," **said the King. I didn't know how the he was able to know that, but I figure the King must have had some special powers, maybe even one that let him know of things going upon the island.

"Thank you," I said with a bow… if only because I wanted to be extra polite. I need the King's favor, or barring that, his support.

Then, with Astrid on my back, I took off from the area reserved for the Flight Commanders for the second time this week. A few nearby dragons gawked at me as I climbed higher, probably surprised that I was able to seemingly come and go so close to the King with such ease and no reprimands or orders to take down; apparently, there was unspoken rule about getting that close. A few still spoke in hushed tones about Astrid, the fact that she was a 'Herd child' that spoke as Kin did was not lost upon them.

As I exited from the volcano, I circled around the peak before taking dive down at the frosted beach.

There were still some dragons off doing those so called 'mating challenges' but less than yesterday. Apparently, the youngest and the strongest already had their fill and have already moved to the next steps, leaving behind mostly older dragons… and a certain male Nightmare who was clearly regretting the decision to join in.

"He's mine!" snapped an older, wrinkled Nightmare. "I saw him first!" She blasted a gout of flame, apparently forgetting everyone was fireproof

"No! I'm stronger!" yelled a yellower one. She was slightly younger looking, but that wasn't saying much. She tackled the wrickled Nightmare to the ground, apparently not having gone senile yet.

Meanwhile, a third Nightmare tried to crawl away from the older two. His wings were bound up by sea weed and large stones. Apparently, it was one of the weird mating customs dragons had, just to keep the would be suitors from flying off. Well, Snotlout did want to know about how dragons did their mating dances, now he had an up close and personal experience. Even from here, I could easily see Snotlout's panic on his face. He called out to a fourth Nightmare, Hookfang, sitting at the sidelines. "Help me!" It was probably the first time Snotlout did not want to have ladies fighting over him; they were way too old for him.

"My liege, I warned you! I can't otherwise, I'd have to duel you… and then they'll be after _me!"_ said the large dragon, shaking his head.

Unfortunately for Snotlout, the two older Nightmares noticed their 'catch' was a escaping. "Hey come back here!" they both said. Each took one of Snotlout's legs and dragged him back, closer to the fighting arena.

I landed by Hookfang, who looked like he had mostly given up at this point. "This could have all been avoided if he didn't eat that boar Tuskmane offered his bride..." he muttered.

"Well, at least Snotlout's learning his lesson about getting involved in love affairs," mused Astrid as she got off. "I could sit here all day!"

"Can you at least make sure that he won't end up being a father?" I asked her. She gave me a look that said she was thinking about it, but in reality I knew she wasn't. "Just do it, I don't think I'm ready to be an uncle just yet..."

Astrid glowered at me. "Fine, but if he tries that thing involving a bird's nest and a pine tree…"

"The initial offering to declare a courtship attempt..." informed Hookfang, lazily having his head down in the sand.

"Whatever!" said Astrid. "If he does… that to me, Hiccup, I'm not going to save him next time, you hear me?"

I grinned. "Oh, I'm sure he'll never forget, just be sure to remind him every year."

And with that, Astrid went between the two Nightmares. I didn't know if it was against the rules for a human-Nadder-whatever to get involved with the mating rites of another dragon breed, but hopefully, nothing said Astrid would then be force to wed with Snotlout… I don't think any of us are ready for something like that, even if we were of age by dragon standards.

Then, with that taken care of, I made my way to my Mom made her den.

Despite being a dragon with very good flying capabilities, Mom for some reason took a home that was so close to the ground. Maybe it was the ease of access to fish or servants or maybe she just liked being so close to the sandy beaches. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Toothless was bound to ground for quite a long time and the den never moved since he had taken to the skies. Whatever the case, Mom kept her den by the beaches, a cave that had just enough room for several Night furies to fit in comfortably.

As I approached, I could tell the entrance was clear of any snow or frost, probably blasted away by a jet of flame; that'd certainly explain why the air was slightly burned and warm as I made my way over.

Looking around, I could tell none of the other dragons were close by; all of them were clearly doing their best away to stay away from Mom. I didn't understand why she had a reputation like that, even my own brother was scared of her. For a moment, I thought that maybe, I was wrong and they were right. She could easily destroy me and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her; I would be alone at at her mercy… Maybe I should have, picked up As-

No, this was a family matter. Shaking my head, I made a decision. I made my way into the cave. I didn't have to go far to meet a pair of bright oliver green eyes standing in my way. "Hey...Mom." I immediately felt like kicking myself for my stupid choice of words. I know I'm at that awkward teenager phase, but come on, couldn't I think of something better to say to a parent that once thought brainwashing me was a smart idea?

Her green eyes looked at me, as if examining every facet of my being. It was like she wanted to know if I was even really there. "Hello…son…. I was… waiting here for you..." she stammered, as if the words were something she was unfamiliar with using. I guess being awkward with long lost relatives ran in the family. "Where's your brother?" she asked, her tone sounding almost nervous.

"I- Uh, he's fine," I managed to stammer out. At least, I hope he was. I mean, worst case scenario, Alvin took him prisoner and was holding him captive, right? I mean, other than other much less savory fates he could experience… like getting beheaded.

Mom's expression seemed to turn darker, as if she was very unsettled by my word choice. "Why have you come here?" she snapped, almost angrily, almost… wearily.

"To… take you home…" The moment, I said those words, I suddenly realized there was one very important thing I forgot to consider. What if Mom liked staying under the King's rule? Being a dragon and all that entailed? I could very well be insulting a very ideal she lived for. I didn't cower or run away; instead, I hunched my shoulders forward, making me appear a little more formal, in control. "I mean, I'm here to take you home," I said in a much firmer tone of voice.

Mom seemed to considered my words for a moment, her head tilting sideways as she examined what I was wearing. Yeah, everyone, human and dragon alike, gave me that look. I mean, just because I wear a saddle as a fashion statement, everyone gave me odd looks. Then she blinked and focused her eyes back on me, the saddle losing her interest. "I..." she tried to say something, but she found it difficult. "I want- I would like that…"

My whole world seemed to change in an instant. It was like suddenly, everything was finally going in my direction, after so long of being some sort of cosmic chew toy. I grinned at my Mom, my tail wagging behind me.

"But I can't…" she said just as my ethusiam was at its peak. She then turned her head over and pointed at her back, gesturing to all of her, I think. "Not when like I'm this."

My mood didn't darken in the slightest; the King wouldn't let her go to Berk unless she was human anyways. "I'm already on it, Mom."

She flinched a little at my words; either unsettled by me affectionately calling her my Mom or the fact that I was saying I was planning to breaking spell. "You mean to break the spell… Hiccup?" she question.

I nodded. "I've got a plan that I am working on right now. It'll take a while, but I'm thinking I'll be done before the winter is over," I explained to her.

"And then I could go back home so see…?"

"Dad," I finished for her. "I never knew what he was like when you were around, but life has been tough without you." Especially since as a single parent, Dad has to juggle the whole being a Viking Chief thing with the Viking dad bit. If Gobber wasn't around, I was sure I'd have ended more dysfunctional that I already was.

Mom turned her head away from me. I think she was feeling guilty and didn't want me to see it. "It has?" she said in a neutral, practiced tone.

I nodded. "Mom, Dad and I, we both want you back," I said.

Mom's head swiveled back, looking at me like some frozen stone idol. For a moment, I thought that maybe my request was falling on deaf ears. "And… your brother?"

"His name's Toothless," I told her. I almost didn't have the heart to tell her that Toothless didn't want her to come over, that was Toothless's opinion, his business, right? Still, looking at Mom's neutral face, I couldn't help but imagine it hid something a little more depressed, more wanting than a Flight Commander. I told her the truth. "Toothless is mad at you…."

Mom's head bend down, looking at the hard floor of the cave. I was sure if she could cry, a river would be forming right at that spot. "I deserved it, I suppose," she told me. "A Mother never forgets her children and especially the mistakes she makes when raising them…"

"But you can make up for them!" I shouted. I wanted her to come back with me; it was selfish, I knew, but I couldn't just let my family remain ruined forever.

Mom wasn't bothering hiding her emotions any more. The moment, I brought up Toothless, her expression changed from that of neutrality to a perpetual gloom. "Even after what I did to you and to your brother?"

"I… I can't speak for Toothless," I admitted. "But I can speak for me and my Dad!"

She turned back at me, her expression staying the same.

"Mom, I forgive you for… everything. The having my captured, the brainwashing..." I said.

My Mom's expression turned even more sour, even more depressed and weary looking. She still didn't say anything.

Immediately,I had the feeling I was driving a dagger through my Mom heart with my I was doing more harm than good with my words. I turned myself around, and slowly made my way to the cave entrance. "Look, Mom... I- Just think about if for me, please?" I said just before I stepped outside.

I didn't make it out before I felt a weight pinning my tail to the ground. My Mom's right paw was all she needed to hold me here. "Why do you do want to do this?" she asked me.

"So… we could be a family again," I said. "A complete family; you, Dad, me and Toothless…"

Mom let her paw off my tailfin, but I didn't leave, I still had something I needed to say.

"Toothless, is still mad at you for… everything," I admitted. I mean, it's probably easier for me to forgive our Mom because I went through only a few days worth of… issues. A whole life time like what my brother had, that was something else entirely. "But I'm thinking, maybe if you were around, at home, he might forgive you, see you as our Mom again…"

Mom stayed silent, deep in thought.

Having said what I came here to say, I decided to make my way out another time. But instead of Mom holding on to my tail to keep me from leaving, her words stopped me in place. "Does my youngest- Does Toothless still like oysters?" Mom asked, a simple innocuous little question.

"Toothless likes them best when fried," I said with a smile.

* * *

**Thank you to Thorborn for helping create Alvin's text. Accented speech is not my thing. His speech is heavily accented to help him stand out.**

**While I know I could have portrayed what happened last night between Alvin and Stormfly… I think it would have been a little extreme, you can guess by Alvin's dialogue. **

**As for Camicazi... you're going to need to wait for a little bit longer for me to explain everything. You know, I wonder how many people wrote about a situation where she backstabs the others?**

**And yeah, I finally did it. A slow start getting mother and son back together, at least just a little. Val obviously has... issues.**


End file.
